You probably know the musketeer rally cry. “All for one and one for all.” The sense of unity, solidarity, and power in that statement sends chills up my spine. Many of us imagined that was what it would be like when entering the ministry. We figured we were joining the ranks of a connected brotherhood of kingdom fighters. We thought we were entering a place where someone would always have our back.
Yet the reality for many in youth ministry (or any kind of ministry) is that it can be a very lonely place. What happened to the musketeers? How can I get that sense of community where it’s all for one and one for all?
This isn’t an extensive solution to the problem, but here are some thoughts I had….
Humble Yourself
A big reason why many of us feel alone is because of our own pride. Pride focuses on yourself. The problem with that is in the end, yourself is all you get. Some of us think we don’t need others, or we think others won’t have valuable input. Some of us don’t have a learner’s spirit and that pushes others away. Some of us are always trying to climb the ladder and top the other people around us. All of this has one thing in common: pride. Proverbs 29:23 Pride is the fast track to being isolated.
Surround Yourself with the Right People
The proverb, “a man who seeks friends must show himself friendly”(Proverbs 18:24) is true in ministry too. It takes some work, but there are others out there just like you that want to connect. Checking out the local pastors’ fellowships, connecting with old college mates via Facebook, and forging new friendships with other leaders/ministries via blogs or other websites are all possibilities. Just like anything else worth doing, it takes work. But, anyone can do it (even those in the remotest parts of the country thanks to the internet.)
Skip the Box
None of us would ever send our students home with a box of books and say, “Hey hope everything works out for you.” No, we know that God uses people who minister the Word into their lives to change them. But why do we think its ok for us to get all our resources from a box? Tons of youth “resources” out there are just a box of materials. When choosing your resources, look for ones that help connect you with people. At Word of Life, we provide you a local missionary to connect with. Plus, we provide training and networking events throughout the year.
Sometimes ministry can be lonely. And many times, God uses those experiences to bring us closer to Him. However, none of us was meant to live that way permanently. We were meant to live like the musketeers: all for one and one for all.
If you’ve got ideas or resources I didn’t mention here, point us to them in the comments!
