The Crown Of Glory

When the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor.

1 Peter 5:4

LEADERSHIP IN A church can be a daunting task, whether someone is part of a paid staff or in a volunteer position. Christians can be wonderful to work with, and they can also be as difficult as any other humans!

Many full-time leaders give up after a few years, having found the ministry and managing a group of believers just too difficult. The failure rate for people in full-time ministry is very high. Discouragement is always pawing at the door. Satan loves to knock these people down and out.

God has some strong words for such leaders. Working in church leadership is not a position to enter lightly. You don’t take on expanding God’s Kingdom on a whim. At the same time, though, God does remind us that he holds some great rewards for those who serve.

Years ago, a missionary couple returned from Africa on the same ship as Teddy Roosevelt, who was returning from a safari. As the ship arrived in the harbor, the news reporters, crowds, and well-wishers all gave Teddy a grand reception. For the missionaries? No one. The man turned to his wife and said, “Here we are, coming home, and there’s no one here to even greet us. Was it all a waste?”

The wife sagely replied, giving him a hug, “Honey, we’re not home yet.”

What a powerful truth! God does not promise anyone success on this earth. But to those who serve faithfully, the eternal rewards will simply never stop.