Article - For the Benefit of Others by Jamie Doyle

By Jamie Doyle

This past month my wife, Jennifer and I took a lot of credit for a major children's musical that was presented here at the church. The children did a fantastic job, and yes my wife worked out most of the choir and drama and I worked out most of the technical end. Many children as well as adults accepted Christ both nights. It was exciting and we probably deserved a little credit… but, not all of it. You see many people played a big part in pulling this musical off. There were costumes that needed to be made, sets and scenery to design and construct, video equipment that needed a small crew, plus sound and lighting, special effects, alter workers, a tee-shirt table and the list goes on and on. My point here is, my wife and I couldn't do it all by ourselves. And my other point here is, you can't do it all by yourself either.

You're right. I could've insisted on doing everything ourselves. There were so many things that I wanted just right. That's the fear of most people. If they don't do it just the way they see it, They won't be able to live with themselves. Philippians 2:3-4 says this: Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. These verses tell me that if I am only satisfied with the way I do things, I am being selfish. I should include others, even to the point of considering them better than myself.

"How will others know what to do?" Well, here's and interesting thought… Show them. So I look for those who I know have a heart and a desire to help and I take them with me wherever I go and I let them do whatever I am doing. And as the do as I do I correct and adjust so that it will at least meet the needs of the people in the most effective way.

"What if they don't get done what I ask of them?" Here's what's working with me. Inspect their work. And better yet, let them know that you will be inspecting their work to see that it gets done. Give a due date, a list of responsibilities and a checklist. Stay updated by contacting them to find out how it's coming along or if they could use more help or ideas. Have that checklist turned in to you. A famous man once said that, "people will not always do what you expect, but they will usually do what you inspect."

"Nobody really wants to help me." Why would God give us a verse like Philippians 2:3-4 and not know that we can get people to help us. In my strongest opinion, "Nobody really wants to help me…" is a lie from the devil. As a matter of fact John 8:44 even goes as far to say that lying is the devil's native language. Any negative thoughts you have about the ministry are probably being whispered in your ear by the devil.

Here are a few things you can do to help you get the help you need.

Make a list of all the things that can be done by somebody else. Even categorize them into specific positions with a title that could be held by a worker. Then develop a job description and a list of responsibilities to be checked off. By doing these things you will have something ready and prepared for new workers when they do come to you.

Take your list and begin to pray over it. Be specific in your prayers. Which of those positions need to be filled right away? Then pray, "Lord, send me a person who can help with discipline… Lord send someone who will oversee the registration tables…" and so on. God will send you people if you ask for them specifically. As I said before, when they are sent to you, you will have the position already created for them to take.

Here's another good idea. Ask people. Sometimes you don't have a flock of people coming to you because they don't know you need the help. Sometimes people don't know that they want to help until someone suggests it to them. Maybe all you will need them for is one specific project. I only needed person to construct two movable doors in doorframes for this one musical. The man we found was more than happy to help. The same with the costumes and many of the other things that needed to get done.

I hope you see the benefit of having others assist you. I know the value of it. Maybe it won't get done the way I want it done, but it gets done. And most of the time I've been surprised at how much better it turned out. So get yourself some workers and be the ministry God intends you to be.

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