Finding Gratitude Even When Ministry Gets Tough

After navigating the turbulent waters of ministry, I've discovered a life-changing practice that has helped me find steadiness amidst the chaos: gratitude. Join me, Todd Rhoades, on the Healthy Church Staff Podcast as we explore how embracing gratitude can transform our perspective during even the toughest seasons of ministry. It’s not always sunshine and rainbows; there are Sundays where everything that can go wrong does, and times when the weight of declining attendance or budget constraints seems unbearable. Yet, it's precisely in these challenging moments that gratitude can serve as a much-needed anchor, reminding us of God’s faithfulness.

Hear the inspiring story of a fellow church leader who found solace through gratitude during a painful church split. Discover how starting each prayer with a simple "thank you" can shift focus from overwhelming problems to the blessings that still exist. While gratitude doesn’t magically erase difficulties, it can make them feel less daunting. I encourage you to find one thing to be thankful for each day and share your stories with me. Subscribe and be part of a community seeking positivity and encouragement in the world of ministry.

Have questions or comments? Send to podcast@chemistrystaffing.com

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:07

Hey there, welcome to the Healthy Church Staff Podcast. I'm Todd Rhodes, your host and fellow traveler in this kind of wild and wonderful world of ministry, and also one of the co-founders of ourchemistrystaffingcom. Today we're continuing our series on gratitude by tackling a tough but important topic. Today's title is Finding Gratitude Even when Ministry Gets Tough, because, let's be real, sometimes it's hard to feel thankful when everything seems to be going wrong, but that's exactly when gratitude can be the most helpful. So let's dive right in here. Okay, let's be honest for a second. It's ministry, not all smooth sailing. It's not all sunshine. It's not all rainbows and puppy dogs. There are times when it feels like you're stuck in the middle of a storm. Maybe attendance is down or budgets are tight, maybe you've got a board member that's just driving you crazy, maybe the staff isn't getting along, maybe you've just had one of those Sundays where everything that could go wrong seems to go wrong, and it's frustrating and it's exhausting and, if we're being completely honest, sometimes it just makes us want to throw in the towel and head to the nearest beach, which for me, being in Ohio, is I guess there's one up in Michigan, but other than the lake beach there's no oceans close to me, but I've wanted to make that journey many times. Here's where gratitude comes in, though, during those tough times, and Paul writes in Philippians. He writes this do not be anxious about anything. Don't be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. That's in Philippians, chapter 4, verses 6 and 7. And that little phrase there with thanksgiving can change everything. Right, because it's easy to forget about our worries and our complaints. It's easy to bring our worries and our complaints to God, but it's a lot harder to mix them with gratitude sometimes. And yet when we do, it really does have the opportunity to shift our perspective and it reminds us of God's faithfulness, even when the situation is far from perfect.

Speaker 1: 2:17

I remember talking to a fellow church leader a while back that was going through just a really rough season. Their church was going through a painful split. It seemed like everything was falling apart, but they made it a point to start every prayer by thanking God for just one thing, and sometimes it was easy Thanks for the great weather today. Other days it was a real struggle, but over time it changed their outlook. It didn't make the problems disappear, but it didn't make them feel a little less overwhelming.

Speaker 1: 2:48

So we're all going to have those seasons where things just feel off, where ministry is tough, and maybe you're going through that right now, going through that tough ministry season where gratitude just doesn't come naturally. But it's precisely in these moments when we need gratitude the most. Gratitude doesn't deny the challenges, it just acknowledges that there's still good even in the midst of that chaos. So here's your bottom line today when you're feeling the weight of ministry, take a moment to find one thing, just one thing, just one thing that you can be thankful for, even in the middle of it. Maybe it's a staff member who stepped up, maybe it was a kind word from a church member, maybe even just the fact that you managed to make it through the day, or you made it up out of bed and made it to the office. But I want to give you a little challenge. Next time you pray which hopefully will be soon start by simply thanking God for that one thing before you dive into your requests. It doesn't have to be a grand gesture, but it can make a difference in how you see the rest of your day.

Speaker 1: 3:57

Okay, I'd love to hear how this resonates with you. Hopefully it does resonate with you. Maybe you're in one of those tough seasons right now. Maybe you've just come out of one. Either way, shoot me an email if you would podcast at chemistrystaffingcom and let me know how you're finding ways to be thankful. I'm rooting for you all the time and I would love I'd love to hear your story and, if you haven't already, go ahead and hit that subscribe button so we can keep this conversation going. We've got some great topics lined up, particularly for the rest of these next two weeks, as we talk about generosity and Thanksgiving, and I don't want you to miss out.

Speaker 1: 4:31

Lastly, before I let you go today, hey, if your church is in the middle of any kind of a difficult transition or you're looking to bring somebody new on your team, I'd love to chat and see how Chemistry Staffing might be able to support you in that way. We're here to help and you can reach me anytime. Podcast at chemistrystaffingcom and you can start that conversation. All right, thanks for hanging out with me today. Like I said, ministry can be tough, but remember you're not alone. There's still good things that are happening, even on the hardest of days. So keep your head up, keep looking for those little glimpses of grace and take it one step at a time. You can do it. And if you'd like to go back and read that passage in Philippians, it's Philippians 4, verses 6 and 7, where Paul talks about Thanksgiving. All right, I hope you'll join us again right here tomorrow on the Healthy Church Staff Podcast. Hope you have a great day.