Those words produce a feeling of dullness in the minds and hearts of pastors everywhere. We have been programmed to try to make people happy in our churches and in our everyday lives. I have a question for all the pastors out there who are battling with the “dullness” of man-pleasing ministry: Was Jesus politically correct in his teachings?
The greatest advice I have ever received in the ministry was from my pastor seven years ago when the Lord called me into the ministry. He said, “If you continually try and plow through dead roots, it will dull your blade. Dead roots are hard and stiff, and many times they have been there for many years and usually are going to stay there in the ground of the garden God told you to minister to. The key is to stop dulling your blade on dead roots and just plow around them.”
That statement changed my outlook on ministry. Your blade (calling) is not yours to dull on dead roots; it is God’s to plow the field. The field is discipleship, evangelizing, service, prayer, worship, etc. If the blade is dull, it will not be effective in the ministry.
In John 21:4-6, Jesus looked out and saw that the disciples were wasting their time fishing on the wrong side of the boat. He knows that messing around with dead roots is just like fishing on the wrong side of the boat.
Keep plowing, and don’t dull your blades on dead roots. Keep moving forward to the rich blessings of Jesus-led churches.
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