Do you want to grow or stay the same? I was sitting at Starbucks after a long day of ministry, sipping my Americano (cheapest) coffee and flipping through a Bible commentary. Across from me, my friend James*, also a full-time worker (but of different organization), scrolled through his phone. "Why do you always read so much?" he asked, looking up. I smiled. "Because I want to keep growing." James sighed. "I don’t really have time for books. Ministry is already busy enough."
I glanced at an open-air chicken rice shop nearby and asked, "If a chef never sharpens his tools, what happens?" "His tools get dull," James replied. "Exactly," I said. "And if we, as full-time workers, never sharpen our minds and hearts, our ministry becomes dull too. Reading exposes us to wisdom from others. It helps us understand people better, communicate the Gospel effectively, and refresh our passion when we feel tired." "But doesn’t the Bible have everything we need?" James asked. "Of course!" I nodded. "The Bible is our foundation. But God also gives people wisdom to write books that help us apply His Word in different situations. Even Paul asked for books and parchments (open my pocket Bible to 2 Timothy 4:13). If Paul valued reading, shouldn’t we?"
James was silent for a moment, then nodded. Ministry is a journey. If we don’t keep learning, we risk becoming stuck. But when we invest in reading, we grow, and our ministry becomes more effective—even creative! So, which kind of worker do you want to be—the one who stays the same or the one who keeps growing? 🤔
THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.
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