I recently made the decision to let go of some of my commercial client's. Not because I don't need the money. Heck, all work is welcome these days and I'm thankful for the work the Lord has kept me in since the economy took a dive.

No, I realized that many of the people I was serving were not really serving God. Oh, they say they are. But the deeper I got into the projects I was hired for, the more I realized that some of my collegues really aren't in "it" for God anymore. . They claim to be in ministry and to be spreading the "Message" for God's kingdom but a closer look revealed the fact that quite a few people in ministry have replaced the Cross with themselves or rather their "ministry". They've taken the focus off of The One they claim to serve while striving for another book sale or speaking engagement. Jesus is no longer preeminant in their work, he is merely a name used to get ahead. The ministry has become the idol.

I've sat back and watched so many ministry leaders overwork themselves, oversell themselves, neglect their most precious priorities (family) merely to "promote" their ministry i.e. themselves. They're off traveling the world promoting and speaking, selling and signing; but when they don't see the desired return they become angry and resentuful, they panic and wonder why they can't achieve the numbers they hoped for. A visit to many ministry websites will introduce you to the person who founded the ministry and all the details about them, this is often the first thing people see when they visit. It's only upon reading a mission statement or a bio that you can learn what the ministry is really about. It appears the goal is to let visitors know all about them their books and their achievements and in most cases, where you can hear them speak in upcoming months. A tool that can be used to reach the masses with the message is instead used to make a sale. Buy the book or book the speaker and you can hear the message too!

Now some of you reading this might say "She's just jealous becuase she isn't getting as many requests for speaking or she probably isn't selling many books". If I were a public speaker, I'd agree and if my books didn't sell themselves, I would say that it could appear a little envy crept in, but I look at my ministry a different way. What I'm sharing here is a message I felt inspired in my heart to share. He puts the books I've written in the hands of those who need them. I don't worry about the numbers, the message gets where it needs to go because He sees to it. He has sustained this ministry for over 10-years. I go about His business and He goes about mine.

When I look at many ministries, they've become like big business. We have boards and committees, CEO's, CFO's, Director's of this and of that. We have marketing strategy and a budget and even non-profits.  Ministry in this day and age has become too complicated for the minister let alone the people the message was orginally meant for.  If someone should happen to come into the organization with a God inspired message or idea, they have to clear the board of directors before they are given permission OR the opportunity to share that divine message. Of course, the egos behind some ministries prevent that from happening altogether becuase afterall, the founder of the ministry is the boss and it is THEIR ministry. Yikes! Where is Jesus in all of this?

It's necessary to sell a certain amount of books and to book so many speaking events to cover the budget and  many ministry leaders/authors/speakers will stop at nothing to accomplish that. Then we wonder why Christian's aren't being taken seriously. We're reflecting this corporate image with all the trimmings and wondering why no one wants to hear what we have to say. So many ministry leaders have made their ministry their idol. They've forgotten the basics and don't remember the reasons God chose them to serve Him with the experiences, accomplishments, time in the valley and the victory of making it to the high places. The focus is on sales and dollars.  As a Christian web developer, this isn't what I signed up for and I have to say, working for some Christian ministries can be somewhat frustrating.  You would think that you'd be treated kinder, with patience and respect; but that's not always the case.  Some ministry leaders are demanding and difficult and if they didn't make it a point ot advertise their Christianity, I's swear they weren't.

One of the things that got my attention was women in ministry attaching the term "Diva" to their name or ministry. I hate to tell you ladies, but the word Diva, and ministry, don't go together and you can't be a servant of The Most High if your a Diva. Look up the definition of Diva. That's not a God inspired title. It may attract the buyer, but again, where is Jesus in this? Does He fit in only when it looks good on the cover or in the logo?

I believe that when God blesses us with the responsibility of a ministry message, He expects us to steward not only our finances, but our time, and our ambition. When the ministry focus is on the person and not the Saviour, there is no ministry. Why would the Lord bless that?

I've heard so many ministry leaders wonder out loud why they aren't bringing in the revenue they were once bringing in and the economy is certainly a factor, but I ask you this, is your ministry about you the messenger, or is Jesus still the center?  Give your ministry back to God, serve it the way He would have you and then watch the blessings appear. Go about HIS business and He will SURELY go about YOURS!

I truley hope my message tonight doesn't offend anyone. When I prayed about this, I realized that I'm more concerned about offending The Lord than my Christian brethren. I pray that if you're reading this and you're in ministry you'll examine your heart and be sure that your focus isn't on you, your books, or your next speaking gig; but on the Savioir. If you recognize yourself in anything I've said, I pray you can go back to the basics and surrender the ministry God blessed you with to HIM and then TRUST He will sustain you and lead you right where He needs you to be.

With Love,

Shell