The Pain of Ministry

My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you—but I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.

Galatians 4:19–20

Pain in Rebuke

Here we get a glimpse into the pain of ministry for Paul. Every time I read Galatians, I get more of an understanding of how grieved Paul was over the Galatian churches. His tone was bold. He even sounds angry at times. 

The questions were direct and confrontational. He slammed the false teachers with very little constraint. At one point he even said, “I wish they would neuter themselves!” (5:12). His reasoning was logical. His reasoning was without the typical fallacies many in our day use to argue. 

Paul was standing firm on the Gospel.

But during his stinging rebuke, we get in these verses a glimpse into the pain of ministry. Paul explains the discipline. Rebuke comes with great pain. Often, we think pastors and friends are prideful or unkind when they confront us. We think they take pleasure in rebuking us. 

This could not be further from the truth.

There is no greater joy for a shepherd than to hear of his sheep walking in the purity and freedom of Jesus. By grace, I have shepherded thousands of people over my ministry. One of my greatest joys is to hear of people I’ve shepherded exalting Jesus and His church. 

On the other hand, there is no greater pain than to hear of people who have begun to abandon the hope of the Gospel. Exalting themselves and being led astray by false teachers and false teaching. 

Pain in Perseverance

The early church understood labor pain well. There were no medications to help ease the pain. In these verses, you see Paul’s pain over this very dilemma. Paul compares his pain over their abandonment to labor pains. 

There is hope in the pains that something good will come. But this pain is overwhelming. This pain is so intense it brings many tears and much agony. This is Paul’s pain.

Paul knew that these churches were on the Road to Destruction if they didn’t turn back to the purity of the Gospel of Grace.Were these false teachers attacking the apostle himself? Sure, but this was only a symptom of the pain. The source was knowing that completion in Christ for these wandering believers was going to be hard.

This was the real pain for Paul.

Pain in Love

Paul desires to be with them and to have the sweet fellowship of the Gospel as the motive. But they were drifting. They were being led astray by men who wanted them to exalt themselves, not Christ, so that ultimately, they would exalt the false teachers, not Christ (4:17).  

The condition the Galatian churches were in brought great concern to Paul’s soul. 

Notice he says, “…for I am perplexed about you.” The word perplexed is very revealing here. It means to be at a loss, to be in doubt and to be concerned. Paul was at a loss! He was confused! How could this be? Paul was the Calvinist! Paul knew the sovereignty of God arguably better than anyone. 

But here in lies the tension: He knew the sovereignty of God, but he was also fully committed to people. He loved them. He longed for them to be complete in Christ. He knew faith in Christ alone was the only way of salvation. 

This is true love.

To see these sheep stray from the truth was perplexing. And so, Paul speaks with boldness and courage. He doesn’t give an inch on the truth. He passionately calls for the brethren to return to the truth. And he confronts the false teaching with excruciating pain and tears running down his face. 

Pain is Inevitable

This is the ministry! This is what goes on inside of the heart of the shepherd. He may sound harsh at times. He even may sound insane. But all of it is from a heart that loves his sheep and his God. 

He knows the Gospel is not an option. 

He is totally committed to the exaltation of Christ because he knows grace is only found in Christ. So please pray for this shepherd. I am even in the pains of child birth over straying sheep today. This compassion and love for others should characterize all of us. 

Little ones we teach in nursery and Sunday school. Coworkers too caught up in their job. “Professing” Christians distracted from the Gospel. Family members who say they are Christian, but their faith is dead instead of living, biblical faith. Maybe even your own children who profess faith, but they desire everything but Jesus.

Ministry is painful. We need the Lord to comfort us and give us resolve to speak the truth in love, especially when the truth of the cross causes us to stumble toward our Lord and Savior.