Might be time to change your mop water. You start out with clean, hot water (with a splash of soap). But after a few times of squeezing out that mop, your bucket looks like a mud puddle. You don’t want to stop in the middle of the job, so you press on—cleaning the floor with dirty water.
I know this from my own mopping experience. As the floor began to dry, I could see where I’d left grimy streaks. The area I was trying to clean looked worse than before I started! This made me think of the ministries we do.
“Ministry” is serving people for the glory of God. We give of our time and energy to help others in God’s name. Jesus declared that just as He came “to serve,” so His disciples should serve one another. He laid down the example by taking up the basin and towel and washing the disciples’ feet (John 13:4-17).
As we roll up our sleeves to serve, sooner or later the fresh water we started out with will need to be changed. If not, we might keep on working, but we’ll leave behind traces of frustration, complaining, and half-hearted effort. Instead of sensing our joy, those we serve may notice we do so only out of duty—for which we feel under appreciated.
Being tired from ministry is one thing; being tired of ministry means you need a break. God has works of love for you to do, but only after you have soaked in His love for you (Ephesians 2:4-10). We need to get alone with God and let Him wash us with the water of His Word (Ephesians 5:26). Let God’s grace refresh you, then you’ll be ready to serve “with the strength that God supplies” (1 Peter 4:11).
