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“In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war…” begins the tragic narrative of King David’s fall in 2 Samuel 11. Last week, Field Director Keith Stringfellow and I went to the area fellowship meeting that took place in northern California. When it was time to discuss the topic of Ministry Effectiveness, one of the passages that Keith and I discussed was 2 Samuel 11. Here is the context of our talk: InFaith missionaries want to be effective in the ministry to which God has called them. We have many Biblical examples of effective ministry. Many of these examples differ in the means by which God brought forth fruitfulness. Some progress in a linear fashion. When Peter preached, thousands were saved. Others follow a more circuitous route toward fruitfulness. When Stephen preached, he was martyred, and a great persecution broke out against the church and the disciples were scattered to exactly where Jesus had previously told them to go. When John the Baptist saw Jesus, he simply declared, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” John’s disciples began to follow Jesus and Jesus said that “among those born of women not one has risen greater than John the Baptist.” With all the different Biblical narratives that exemplify effective ministry, it’s natural to consider which of them apply to one’s own ministry context.
Unfortunately, only time reveals ultimate effectiveness. John and Stephen never fully realized their effectiveness until it was revealed to them by Jesus face to face and Peter didn’t know for sure the impact he had on the crowds until he met them in eternity. There is one test, however, that we can all apply to our ministry: “Are we going to where the Lord sent us and are we doing what He has called us to do?” David, we are told in 2 Samuel 11, did not go where kings go in the springtime and he did not do what kings did at that time. Instead, he strolled the rooftop of his palace and enjoyed the (forbidden) view below. He chose what was easy and convenient (and sinfully pleasurable) rather than the difficult, but eternally significant, work of leading God’s people. Perhaps the most important step in discerning ministry effectiveness is asking yourself the question, “Am I moving toward or away from the calling God has placed on my life?”