Jeremiah was a prophet, but as a prophet he was also human, and he found himself in a nearly unbearable situation. He was called by God to bring messages of warning to Israel and Judah. But the people refused to accept his messages.

Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com

It is not easy being called of God for the office of ministry. Ministry is not just something you do; it is who you are.

Jeremiah was called at a very early age, according to Jeremiah 1:6. He was reticent for the task, believing his age to be a deterrent. Through the promise of divine support, Jeremiah became ready for the calling.

After years of service and sacrifice, Jeremiah reaches a point of spiritual exhaustion. The NKJV translates Jeremiah’s intense frustration in these words: “O Lord, You induced me, and I was persuaded; You are stronger than I, and have prevailed. I am in derision daily; everyone mocks me.” (Jer. 20:7)

Have you ever felt pierced with frustration from being isolated, impugned, ridiculed, and despised for doing the will of God? Imagine your situation as ten times worse, and you may imagine Jeremiah’s feelings. Pashur, son of Immer and chief governor in the “house of the Lord” had Jeremiah put in stocks after publicly humiliating him, by beating him (Jeremiah 20:1). In stocks, within the shadows of Solomon’s Temple, Jeremiah endured ridicule and public taunts throughout the evening and morning of the next day.

Jeremiah was called to do three things for God:

1. Remind God’s people who God is.
2. Remind God’s people whose they were.
3. Define the outcome of generational indifference to God’s requirements and instructions.

Rather straightforward in his task, except for one small detail: Jeremiah’s ministry was primarily before civic and religious leaders. Those whom God wanted to challenge to lead in change were those who could execute the prophet under the guise of treason. In fact, several times they accused him of that crime.

Ministry is not easy. Christ proved that. Humanity wants the path easily traveled. Yet, those who live the life of undisturbed ease as Christians are not after the biblical model. Whether called to the office of pastor, teacher, apostle, evangelist, or lay leader, ministry is about challenge. Challenge comes in two core areas:

• Facing our internal human frailty and the desire for acceptance.
• Facing inherent human resistance to God, from those whom God wants to reach.

God made us social creatures. We desire the company and approval of others. The idea of standing for truth, honesty, and integrity is not easy. Pressure does not have to be severe or extensive. Duration is the game changer. Jeremiah had been at his job for many years. He had been beaten, rejected, ridiculed, marginalized, and mocked. Without a wife or children to console him, Jeremiah was all alone!

Should it surprise us that everyone who is going to really stand for God, has to go through the same journey as Christ?

Whenever individuals entrenched in positions of leadership intersect with a new leader with clear vision, and definable mission, the a clash of wills occurs. Over time, I have learned to realize that Satan is the true instigator of all our problems. He tempts us to focus on self and our own welfare, and he will arouse others to oppose us if we are focused on doing God’s will. He does not care about our feelings or what happens to us as we attempt to fulfill God’s assignment.

The kicker is that God allows it! There really is a purpose in the challenge or character assassination. Permitting it brings us to an acute awareness of our desperate need of Him. If we did not receive a jolt of reality periodically, we might think ourselves capable of achieving great things without him. We can’t.

Think about two individuals who were great in the business world: Steven Covey and Steve Jobs. Covey was effective in changing the game of sequential processing in business through his book: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Throughout the 80’s and 90’s Steven Covey was a guru who radically challenged the status quo in business practices.

Then, there was Steve Jobs, the technology wiz and brain of Apple, Steve Jobs brought technology to the consumer as no one else did between the late 20^th and the 21^st Century. He snatched electronic innovation from Asia and put it in Silicon Valley, CA. Both Covey and Jobs were great men on a mission. Even though they were not on God’s mission, they met challenges, survived ridicule and overcame naysayers.

Should we not expect equal or greater challenges when we are on God’s mission?

Jeremiah was on God’s mission. As frustrated as he was, time and time again, in the end, he overcame. Jeremiah lived to see the fulfillment of all the prophetic woes he uttered. All his detractors fell to the sword or other peril. Unfortunately, while he was in the midst of the action, he could not see the end.

We cannot see in front of us either, but we must trust our Guide, who is God Himself.

Here are a few questions to consider for the trials God allows in your life:

1. When you have been impacted by negative or life-altering events, did you blame or question God’s love for you?
2. Did you want to leave God or His church as a result of your hurt feelings or pride?
3. Why would God allow you to experience challenging circumstances when you are doing His will?
4. How can you prepare for the next undesirable, spiritually impacting event in your life?

Print/PDF/Email