Written by Ethan M. Stone
Key Points
- The Association of Related Churches encourages pastors to see the challenges of growing ministry as evidence of fruit, not failure.
- Proverbs 14:4 offers a simple picture: a stable with no oxen stays clean, but it also produces no harvest.
- Choosing to serve with joy through the hard parts of ministry helps leaders protect their calling and keep going.
Every pastor knows the moments that don’t make it into the church photos.
The family that leaves because they “weren’t being fed.” The volunteer who stops showing up without explanation. The equipment stolen from the trailer. The criticism that arrives just as the week’s sermon is finally coming together.
Over time, those moments can wear on a leader. Many pastors begin to wonder quietly whether the mess means they are doing something wrong.
Within The Association of Related Churches (ARC), there is a different way of looking at it. Often, the mess means something is growing.
A Lesson From the Stable
Proverbs 14:4 puts it plainly: “Without oxen a stable stays clean, but you need a strong ox for a large harvest.”
For a farmer, oxen were the source of labor. Labor brought a harvest. But oxen also brought work, noise and plenty of cleanup.
The principle carries straight into ministry. A church with no people would have no conflict, no complaints and no difficult conversations. It would also have no impact.
A church that is reaching people, building teams and welcoming those who are hurting will have some mess. That isn’t dysfunction. It’s discipleship.
The Difference Between Clean and Fruitful
Many leaders feel pressure to keep everything orderly, predictable and free of tension. Order matters, but it shouldn’t be confused with health.
A spotless church can also be a stagnant one. Growth tends to bring growing pains: more people with more needs, more questions, more opinions and more opportunities for misunderstanding.
The friction many pastors are frustrated by may actually be the answer to something they prayed for. Complaints often come with growth. Tension often comes with expansion. Pressure is often capacity being stretched.
Leaders who once prayed, “God, use me,” may find that being used looks messier than they imagined.
Choosing Joy in the Hard Work
Some ARC leaders sum up this perspective with a simple phrase: it’s a joy to shovel.
The point isn’t that the hard parts are enjoyable. It’s that the harvest is worth it.
That mindset can change how a pastor responds when a family leaves, when a portable venue falls through, or when criticism comes from people the church has served well. It can also reframe the conversation with church staff and volunteers, who are often carrying the same weight. Serving in a life-giving church is a privilege, even on the difficult days.
Why the Harvest Is Worth It
This perspective is rooted in the gospel itself.
None of us came to Jesus clean or put together. He stepped into our mess, carried our sin and did for us what we could not do for ourselves.
Hebrews 12:2 says that “for the joy set before him,” Jesus “endured the cross.” He was surrounded by disciples who misunderstood him and people who walked away. Even so, he called his work joy.
For pastors, that example offers both comfort and challenge. If Jesus endured the cross for our mess, ministry leaders can endure inconvenience for His harvest.
Guarding the Heart Behind the Work
Proverbs 4:23 adds an important caution: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
It is possible to keep doing the work of ministry while slowly losing the joy behind it. Leaders can pray, preach and serve with a heart that has grown tired or bitter.
That is why healthy leadership pays attention to the inner life as well as the outward work. Pastors who serve faithfully for decades are often admired for exactly this. They have walked through plenty of difficulty, yet they never lost their joy.
Picking the Shovel Back Up
Some leaders reading this may have already set the shovel down. Disappointment, conflict or exhaustion may have turned a calling into something that feels more like a job.
But 1 Peter 2:21 reminds believers that this is what they were called to, following in the footsteps of Christ.
The mess pastors manage is often proof of the harvest they are carrying. Ministry was never meant to be easy, but it is still worth it.
About the Association of Related Churches (ARC)
The Association of Related Churches (ARC) is a church-planting organization dedicated to helping leaders launch and grow healthy, life-giving churches. Through church planter training, coaching, leadership development, and practical ministry resources, ARC has helped launch more than 1,200 churches around the world.
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