Rest assured, a slow and steady pace of ministry will afford you ample opportunities for affliction and adversity. Simply let the Lord lead you at his pace as you labour to understand his word and do what it says as you lead his people. If you do this, there will be no need to go looking for a fight; the fights will come to you.

There’s a good reason ceramic mugs can hold boiling water. The manufacturing process exposes them to temperatures over 1000 degrees so pouring in liquid at a mere 100 degrees is not a big deal. Pour that same boiling liquid into a plastic cup and you’ll get a very different result.

This metaphor highlights the need for preparation before facing the intense pressures of ministry. New young leaders are more like plastic cups than ceramic mugs.

Tested leaders have been shaped over time. Once you’ve been fired in the kiln of adversity, you’ll be fired for good, and prepared for the high heat of ministry.

The Kiln of Adversity

Being chosen as a leader is not the end of a process but the beginning. We’ve developed solid methods to prepare young leaders for the technical aspects of ministry, but we often neglect the importance of guiding them through the long process of shaping.

Too often, we pour boiling water into plastic cups and seem surprised when the cups melt.

Every ministry leader begins as a lump of clay yet too often, we place these unformed vessels into roles designed for those already refined by time and experience. In some churches, the elder team is designated a place where young leaders can “learn to lead.”

The result is often the destruction of half-shaped vessels because they aren’t ready for the heat and pressure.

Some positions in the church should be reserved for those who have already been hardened in the kiln of adversity. Younger ministry leaders need time to continue the shaping process. And while some are ready sooner than others, many are burned by their experience.

Don’t Rush the Process, Submit to the Potter

Even when not rushed, some younger leaders, fueled by overzealous ambition, want to advance quickly and obtain authority before they’re ready. That’s a common way to end a leadership journey before it really begins.

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