There’s a popular concept to take the long view. Don’t settle for doing things necessarily more cost-effective in the moment, because believe it or not, it may actually be more expensive in the long run. To me the first thing that comes to mind are shoes. Not inherently obvious is the cost of the shoe versus its quality. I’ve seen many snappy pairs of shoes. Usually, not universally, the glossier the leather the cheaper the product. I remember going to DSW or Payless and seeing some apparently sharp looking shoes. I remember even buying a pair here or there, but they never seemed to last very long. While my folks or I paid seemingly low prices for the pair, it didn’t take long to realize that we’d have to replace this pair about as soon as we bought it. In the long run, it would have been cheaper (and is cheaper) to buy a $200 pair of shoes and have it for 15 years or more than to buy a $40 pair (of essentially the same style) and buy that every 2-3 years. That’s happened to me and I’ve learned not to skimp when it comes to shoes since it’s something I’m using a daily basis.
Ministry is a place where shortcuts are seemingly welcome. It’s difficult to win someone to Christ, disciple them, train them, and then wait for them to be called, trained even further, and then assume their place in the ministry. That takes decades. Truly. We are tempted to shortcut this by doing everything ourselves. We succumb to this temptation and then are readily frustrated when it doesn’t go the way that we had hoped or planned. (Does anything ever in any domain of life?) We are tempted to shortcut this process by utilizing the efforts of other people. That’s not bad. Christ himself told his disciples that they would be working and entering into the fields of other men’s labors. But that’s merely mercenary. Again, I’m not against it. I’m benefiting from that. I’ve been on both ends of this. But our calling is not simply to always reap the labors of someone else. Paul planted. Apollos watered. In the final analysis, God had to give the increase. Certainly, I should be willing to plant or water without ever seeing the increase. That’s the reality of ministry. Even for those who are faithful for a lifetime, I’m sure that there are moments when they would desire to see more fruit. However, attempting to circumvent the life-cycle of ministry is impossible when viewed through the lens of eternity. Sure, we may be able to amass a crowd, but I wonder what the eternal impact of a “large” ministry will be in relation to those who for a lifetime were quietly in their corner of the field God had called them to and placed them in and were laboring away. Regardless of the fruit. Regardless of how great (or not) the increase was. We are tempted to boast about this or that ministry because of its relative influence in the here and now. I’m sure there are many famous pastors and workers who will be rewarded exponentially in heaven. Praise the Lord for their influence here and now, and their eternal influence as well. But not everyone can be “that” person. That’s fine. In the scope of eternity, all that’s going to matter is that I was faithful to Christ and the calling that He so graciously gave to me. Don’t be tempted to take the shortcut in ministry. Find someone to invest in. Paul had many people who he influenced. But in the end, it was Timothy that really stuck with him and his influence was so personalized. Take the long view. That is the only one that matters. Eternity.