Celestial Diary

I’m sure I’m not alone in this when I say there’s something special about watching someone do something they love. Whether it’s your little sister telling you about her newest invention, your best friend explaining her thesis, or even watching someone knitting a sweater successfully. Passion is a very attractive and inspiring thing.

I caught myself doing this last weekend while scrolling through Instagram, watching the stories my friends posted. The stories that caught my attention were those of my friends in ministry. Suddenly everyone was up and about, doing fun and exciting things. And I realized, while watching, that thoughts like “That looks fun,” “Is this something I could do?” “They’re really going places,” “Crazy how I know this person personally,” and “Ministry might not be so terrible after all,” were crossing my mind.
I did a double take and was like, Wow, calm down Faith, and take a step back.
Sure, this looks fun but remember, there’s more to this.

It’s crazy how easily I was charmed into the hype of the visuals, even though I was born into ministry and have been through it. It reminded me of the sudden epidemic of TikTok preachers we see nowadays. Everyone wants to do ministry in the most creative, flashiest way possible.

I’ll be the first to admit: there’s something incredibly attractive about ministry.
The way a preacher commands the room. The passion of a worship leader lost in a moment with God. The speaking in tongues, where the atmosphere is on fire and people are rolling on the floor.
The miracle-working anointing that passes through people.

We see it, and something in us longs for it. Some of us want to experience it, some of us want to perform it and some of us want to feel that power, that purpose, that sense of being used by God.
But sometimes we get so lost in the results that we forget what all this is for.

Ministry is the act of carrying out God’s work on earth for the purpose of building up the body of Christ.
It means serving God by serving His people. It’s not about position or title; it’s about service and surrendering to God’s will.

Ministry is magnetic because it puts the power and presence of God on display. When someone moves under a heavy anointing, it captures people’s hearts. It’s easy to fall in love with a minister’s gift. It’s easy to confuse the glow of the Spirit with the glow of the spotlight.

“A great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick.”
John 6:2

Some people are genuinely called by God while others are simply enchanted by what ministry looks like from a distance.
For some, being a minister is like being a doctor or a pilot. It’s a lifelong dream they hope to achieve. The internet is filled with testimonies of women sharing how they prayed to God to make them a pastor’s wife as if it’s some kind of achievement that automatically opens up the gates of heaven for them. Some love the fame and wealth that comes with the position, while others want to command a big crowd to satisfy their own ego.

Attention is a dangerous drug and it’s is why some ministries fail, some ministers get carried away, and people get into trouble spiritually.
When ministry becomes about being seen rather than serving, it empties the soul fast.

Some even seek out strange spirits just to be seen, heard and acknowledged. Simon the Sorcerer saw the apostles moving in power and wanted it for selfish reasons: “Give me this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit!” (Acts 8:19). He wasn’t interested in knowing God, all he wanted was the prestige of spiritual power.

And here’s the truth most people don’t post on Instagram: Ministry is hard.
Ministry will break you, humble you, isolate you, test you, and stretch you.

Jonah tried to run away from the call because he didn’t want the pressure and the judgment that might come with obedience (Jonah 1). Even Jeremiah cried out to God in frustration, feeling deceived (Jeremiah 20:7-13).

Ministry demands sacrifice. You will have to lay down dreams, surrender your comfort, risk your reputation. Sometimes, you might even lose friends, opportunities and the approval of your own family.

True ministry is about dying daily. It’s not about becoming big because let’s face it: how many ministers end up on the world stage?
It’s about becoming small so God can be big through you.

Those that are truly called by God will eventually end up in the right place.
Because the funny thing about ministry is: you can try to run, you can try to hide, you can even mess up badly. But if God has marked you, His call will keep finding you.

Look at Moses, for instance. He tried every excuse he could think of: “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?” (Exodus 3:11) Still, God insisted: “I will be with you.”

The call doesn’t leave easily because it’s not based on your strength, or your fame, but on His purpose.

At the end of the day, the real question isn’t: “Do I want the stage?”
The real question is: “Am I willing to carry the cross?”

Ask yourself:
Would you say yes to ministry if nobody ever noticed you?
Are you willing to sacrifice yourself for the greater good, even if it meant you might never get recognition?
Are you willing to go through ministry like Jesus Christ did?

And that’s a question only you and God can answer.

So please don’t compare yourself to others, don’t let people convince you of what’s not yours.
And don’t jump into ministry for the fun of it.

As a minister, you hold lives in your hands. It’s not something you do halfheartedly because there are souls tied to our individual ministries and we owe it to them to serve in the way God has asked us to.

Stay Blessed x