Five Things to Do When Ministry Leaves You Shattered
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I met Jack (not his real name) a couple of years ago. He shared his story with me.
He pastored a thriving church for a number of years, then received a call to another church. Jack and his family decided it was what God would have them do. So they packed up and moved cross country.
Only a couple of years in, however, the church was ready to split.
After much prayer and soul searching, Jack realized it would be in the best interest of the church for him to leave.
It was clear that if he stayed a split was inevitable. But if he left an intermediate pastor might be able to pull the congregation together.
I admire his decision.
I know it wasn’t easy. And certainly not the most convenient for him personally or financially.
It did, however, take a toll on him and his family. They moved back across the country again. This time without a church waiting. For the first time in many years, he had no ministry.
Hurt and anger rose inside Jack as he struggled to find a new life. Bitterness knocked hard on his door.
Jack’s experience was unique to him. But the storyline has an all too familiar feel.
God told Jeremiah to go to the potter’s house and observe. You probably recall the story from Jeremiah 18.
The purpose was to provide an object lesson about how God works with His people.
The chapter contains an almost ominous sentence:
“So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands.” Jeremiah 18:3-4
Does God's plan for our lives sometime include being “marred in his hands”?
Ministries Shattered, Seemingly Beyond Repair
The message I share with the wider church world speaks to helping ministry leaders increase their resilience in the face of stress and burnout, develop greater communication and conflict management skills, and empower their followers. In short, to develop emotionally intelligent leadership skills.
But there are times when that just doesn’t cut it.
Sometimes ministries – and ministers – seem shattered beyond repair. You don’t even know how to pick up the pieces or try to begin again.
Jack likely wondered how it could be that he was serving and following God, yet this happened. I am sure it didn’t make sense to him. After all, he’d had a thriving ministry before. And now he had none.
The clay was in the potter’s hands, yet became marred and unusable in the current form. How can this be?
Such times bring a crisis to the minister’s soul. A crisis of identity. Of life purpose. A crisis of faith itself.
Redemption, Restoration, Return to Greater Ministry
It seems there are a number of things that can go wrong in pottery making.
The clay may have impurities that cause it to be marred. The clay can be too wet, too dry, or have air pockets.
The pot may go out of balance, causing it to become misshapen.
Whatever the cause, the potter in Jeremiah’s story did not simply set the clay aside and eventually sweep it into a pile for discarding. Instead, the potter in Jeremiah started over with the same clay.
He smashed it down and reformed it into another pot.
Jack told me that during his time of hurt and anger, he did a lot of soul searching and reflecting. He realized and admitted to himself that he’d had an anger problem that went way back.
Rather than hardening himself and staying bitter, he allowed God to rework him. To work out the impurities.
I admire that. It isn’t easy to humble oneself. The process came at a cost.
However, last I spoke with Jack, he was enjoying life and working as a Hospice chaplain. He told me that he had greater peace and joy than he’d had in his whole life. And he was even grateful for the whole experience.
God reformed him into another vessel. And he experienced God using him in marvelous ways, with greater peace and joy.
Five Things to Do When You Feel Marred in the Potter’s Hands
I believe there are several takeaways when one feels their whole purpose or ministry has been marred or taken away.
Believe that God never stops working in and with you. He doesn’t throw away even if some people do.
Humble and surrender yourself to God’s hands in the process. Even when you don’t understand.
Ask God to help you gain insight into areas of your life that need to be addressed. As the psalmist said, “Search me and know me God. See if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting”.
Allow God to use you in new and different ways.
Remember that a reworked pot may reflect even more of God’s grace, compassion, and glory.
Have you been broken/marred In ministry leadership? I would love to hear your story and pray for you.
Do you know someone who has been broken and could benefit from encouragement? Please consider sharing this article with them.
Also, thanks, Jack, for sharing your story. I believe it will be a blessing to others.
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