A Pastor and the Providence of God in his Life and Ministry
Providence is God’s guidance and protection in our lives. Pastor, I know we teach about God’s providence to His people regularly. We counsel people with a deep belief and conviction about God’s guidance and protection through life. Yet, when it comes to our own lives and ministries, do we believe it with the same level of conviction and operate our lives accordingly?
God Knows What is Best for Me
I have often struggled with understanding many things in my own life and ministry. I have wondered why certain doors have closed when I thought their opening would be the will of God. Conversely, I have often been overwhelmed with God’s gracious blessing of opening doors for me that I knew I did not deserve. After all these years it is still hard to write them in confession to you: but I understand that God knows what is best for me, even when I do not know what is best for myself. Yes, He protects me from things I may want or believe, when in reality, they are not best for me.
Trusting the Providence of God
The Lord is always working around us. He desires to work through us. People, places, provisions, and experiences are all under His guidance and care. When He desires to intersect them into your life, you will see His sovereign will fulfilled. Therefore, by faith we must trust God’s sovereign will. We want to join Him in all He is doing. As He invites us to join Him, trust Him. He is worthy to be trusted.
Therefore, how do we trust the providence of God in ministry?
1. Trust in His providence even when things are not going well.
Ministry is not an easy calling or job. Most pastors I know are under the scrutiny of people continually. They are weary from constant criticism and cutting cynicism. Many wonder if their future is in jeopardy. Often times, they live on the edge from one month to the next, hoping and praying for revival or deliverance!
Pastor, God has not forgotten you. He is with you. He wants to teach you.
I will never forget one of the most challenging times I ever faced in ministry. Through that experience God showed me that He had me in that particular place in life to teach me. He had me there more for me than for the church! This overwhelmed me with conviction from the Spirit of God. I learned through that experience, and many times since, that He guides, protects, and provides even when things are not going well. Trust in God’s sovereign will for your life.
2. Trust in His providence even when you do not want to.
So many times in life, we want to take our life and ministry in our own hands. We want to manipulate the circumstances or spin our own reality. If we want to be honest with one another, there are times when we struggle with anger about what we are experiencing and even with where we may be serving. In the ministry, jealousy can even override our judgment at times because others are receiving recognition that we believe we are more worthy of receiving. In reality, all may line up on our sheet of unfairness.
Yet, we must trust in God’s sovereign will. At times, trusting Him and His will may be far more difficult than trying to take matters into our own hands. Trusting God in ministry involves surrendering our entire life and future to Him! We have to take our hands off of our own future, leaving all of our future in His hands. Pastor, trust in God’s sovereign will for your life.
3. Trust in His providence for your future.
Pastor, trust in God’s providence for your future in life and ministry. He knows what is best for you even when you do not. He is more involved with you personally than you realize. He is moving in the world of today in order to prepare you for the world of tomorrow.
I believe God has big plans for your life and future. No, you may not see it right now, but He is preparing you for them. Do not try to dumb-down God into your perspective of the world. He sees the end from the beginning. He knows every gift in your life that He Himself gifted you with. At the right time, He will raise you up and trust you with your future. Pastor, practice what you teach and preach.
It all begins with you:
*Being available to God without placing any restrictions on your life
*Surrendering yourself and all you are to Him, holding nothing back
*Trusting in God’s sovereign, providential will for your life and ministry
Trust God’s providential guidance and care for your life and ministry!
Now is the Time to Lead,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.
10 Important Things Happening Now to Prepare for the 2016 Southern Baptist Convention #SBC16
Significant actions are taking place right now for our upcoming 2016 Southern Baptist Convention in St. Louis, Missouri, on June 14-15. Permit me to give you a briefing today.
Online registration opens today
Online registration opens today at 8:00 a.m. CST for the 2016 Southern Baptist Convention. You can begin registering messengers from your church today at SBCAnnualMeeting.net. This website also answers all your questions about becoming a messenger to the Southern Baptist Convention.
Anyone can attend the 2016 Southern Baptist Convention
While our convention does have elected messengers from our churches, anyone can attend a Southern Baptist Convention gathering. You can come and attend everything, even if you are not a messenger. Please join us even if your church has its messenger capacity filled.
Crossover St. Louis needs you and your church’s assistance
The week before the Southern Baptist Convention, but especially on Saturday, June 11, our convention has many people volunteer, making an investment in personal ministry throughout metro St. Louis, on both sides of the river.
Please go here to find out more about Crossover 2016. Please pray for Jim Breeden and his team from the St. Louis Metro Baptist Association who are making this a fantastic experience. This association is comprised of 150 cooperating churches in a region of 2.7 million people. We have a need for 2,500 volunteers to come and help these churches in 75 different projects. Contact them today.
Final decisions are being made
We are making final decisions now in relationship to our convention program. While we have much already completed, there are so many more decisions that must be made. Please pray for us.
Committee on Resolutions is almost completed
Within the next several weeks, I will release names of the ten persons who will serve on our 2016 Committee on Resolutions. This is a very important committee. There are many pieces that complete this puzzle, by-laws to follow, and many matters to take into consideration. I can announce to you today that Dr. Stephen Rummage will serve as Chairman of our Committee on Resolutions. Dr. Rummage is the Senior Pastor of Bell Shoals Baptist Church, Brandon, Florida. He is also an officer on the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention. Please begin to pray for Dr. Rummage.
Committee on Committees is being recruited now
Additionally, within the next several weeks, I will release a list of the sixty-eight members of our 2016 Committee on Committees. There are many by-law restrictions that are part of appointing this significant committee. It is a long process from initial work to final completion. I can announce to you today that Dr. Willy Rice will serve as Chairman of our Committee on Committees. Dr. Rice is the Senior Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, Clearwater, Florida, and served last year as the President of the 2015 Pastors’ Conference of the Southern Baptist Convention.
2016 Pastors’ Conference of the Southern Baptist Convention
Dr. John Meador is serving as the President of our 2016 Pastors’ Conference this year. John is the Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church in Euless, Texas. Please plan to join thousands of us in this pre-SBC conference that begins on Sunday night, June 12 and goes through Monday night, June 13. Please go to sbcpc.net to learn more.
Tonight I am speaking to the SBC Executive Committee and leadership in Nashville
Tonight I will speak to the SBC Executive Committee and the SBC leadership meeting in Nashville. Please pray for me. Also pray for Dr. Frank Page and the entire Executive Committee during all their meetings on Monday and Tuesday, February 22-23.
A strategic time with leaders from across our Southern Baptist family
On Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, February 23-24, I have called a strategic meeting with leaders from across our Southern Baptist Convention. I have invited all State Convention executives, State Convention presidents, SBC entity leaders, and a group of pastors to join Dr. Frank Page and me in Nashville for this strategic time together.
This is an unprecedented gathering in our modern history, as these groups are rarely together except for our annual convention, and do not typically meet together in a strategic sense. Please pray for us. We are all partners in the gospel and need to be together to chart our future. While schedules prohibit some from coming, approximately ninety of us will be meeting together.
#SBC16
Most of us use social media in some form or another. When you mention our 2016 Annual Meeting in St. Louis on social media, remember to use the hashtag #SBC16. We will all benefit from sharing with one another in this way.
Finally…
Finally, these are great days to be part of our Southern Baptist Convention. Please pray for these days leading up to and through our 2016 Southern Baptist Convention on June 14-15.
Now is the Time to Lead,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Senior Pastor, Cross Church
President, Southern Baptist Convention
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Dr. Ronnie Floyd is currently serving as the President of the Southern Baptist Convention. The Southern Baptist Convention is America’s largest Protestant denomination with more than 15.7 million members in over 51,094 churches nationwide.
To request an interview with Dr. Ronnie Floyd
contact Gayla Oldham at (479) 751-4523 or email gaylao@crosschurch.com.
Visit our website at http://ronniefloyd.com
Follow Dr. Floyd on Twitter and Instagram @ronniefloyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.