MINISTERS PERSONAL FITNESS

Eph 6:10-13; Num. 13:30; Acts 4:13; Acts 21:13; Rom. 8:35-39; 2 Tim. 2:3-5.
The call to the ministry is not to weak men. It takes courage, strength of character, perseverance, determination, and all the grace of God that you can receive to make a success in this important work. It is well that all those entering the ministry are made aware of this fact. We must be qualified before we start and, even after that, continually at the business of qualifying ourselves for our work; for we will often be reminded of our shortcomings and deficiencies by both God and man.
Ours is tremendously important work. Its weight and responsibilities are eternal in character. We must constantly realize that we are ministering to the needs of dying humanity, for “It is appointed unto men once to die” Hebrew 9:27. Therefore we must never be satisfied with our work or our ministry. We must be looking continuously for ways to improve ourselves along every line. The often-heard excuse that we are too busy is not sufficient reason for neglecting our program of self-improvement. We can usually find time for anything that we regard as being truly important to our work and us.
Our work is more important than that of statesmen; and yet a statesman will equip himself with every qualification valuable to his work. We are occupied in a work far more important than that of a soldier, armed with carnal weapons, in a national struggle; and yet no soldier of this kind would think of going out to battle.
We are not ambassadors for a civil state, and yet such ministers of our governments will study and work diligently that they may qualify in every way for the responsibilities of the post to which they are assigned. 2 Tim. 2:15; 1 Cor.12:31; 14:1,12; Phil. 3:13; 14; 1 Cor.9: 25.
We are soldiers for God, ambassadors for Christ, prophets of righteousness, preachers of eternal truth, and representatives of a sovereign God! We are ministers! A minister is a pastor! A pastor is a shepherd! We must have Christ’s spirit, and do his work, if we would be his ministers. To do that work correctly we must be diligent to see that, wherever possible, every hindrance is removed, every weakness strengthened, every deficiency built up, and that we are capable ministers, soldiers, ambassadors, preachers, representatives, and faithful shepherds.