I was talking to Caleb, a local minister with a similar background to mine. We talked about ministry, marriage, and our lives. He told me how he was spending most of his free time remodeling the bathroom in their house. We exchanged stories of plumbing nightmares, extended budgets, and unhappy spouses. 

Then he paused and said something like this: “I love it, though. It is good to see a project start and then finish. It is the opposite of ministry.”

I knew exactly what he meant. One of the strains of doing ministry is that you never see a finished product with people. No one shows up a mess, comes to Jesus, develops as a complete disciple, and the person is finished.

Transforming people takes years of teaching, preaching, and discipling. It happens over time through pain, joy, and everything in between. It involves making mistakes, continually struggling with sin, and living in the light of grace. Some people will quit, others will move away, and some will become your biggest advocates.

Ministry for God, both paid and unpaid, is a nonstop job that only ends at the grave. There are many days when I do not know if I am doing any good. The results can be impossible to see. Were my efforts a waste of time, or will something amazing happen? Even when I know the seed gets planted, it will take years for the tree to produce fruit, and I might never see it happen.

Working for Jesus can be frustrating for results-oriented people like me. Faith is not only about believing in God; it is also about trusting that he will take my efforts and use them to bring his work to completion.