Those who serve the gospel faithfully should recognize that we share the same mission, even when we do not share or agree on every aspect of methodologies. There should be genuine encouragement of one another and a willingness to give and accept honest, constructive feedback.

One great evil a minister must guard against is harboring a spirit of competition toward other gospel ministers and ministries. The spirit of ministerial competition must be addressed because it has a direct impact on the church’s witness to the world. Our unity in the gospel demonstrates the truth of the gospel, while a spirit of competition undermines it (Jn. 17:21).

Ministerial competition diverts attention and energy toward competing with a brother instead of engaging in the battle for the souls of men and the advance of the gospel to the ends of the earth. Ministers find themselves chasing metrics rather than pursuing lasting fruit. This spirit of competition creates isolation where support should exist, fosters discouragement where encouragement is needed, and replaces joy in service with anxiety about performance.

Pastors, missionaries and Christian ministry leaders are susceptible to this vice when we seek validation and identity in the ministry instead of in the Master. There is a temptation to compare ministries, programs, numbers, or other forms of visible “success.” Comparing one with another diverts attention from the Master who assigned us our task and drains focus on the task the Master assigned. A competitive spirit can easily give way to envy, and envy left unchecked draws the minister toward a critical spirit. God deliver us from this vile sin.

In Mark chapter nine, the disciples came to Jesus with the report that they had encountered a man casting out demons. The disciples promptly forbade the man from engaging in that ministry activity because “he was not following us.” Jesus’ reply is instructive, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. For the one who is not against us is for us.”

Jesus’ instruction to the disciples is a foundational principle for ministry. We should guard against setting ourselves up as the judge of another man or his ministry when they do things differently than we do. When we move beyond acknowledging differences to evaluating motives, we have crossed the line and set ourselves in the place of the Master.

Evaluating the Motives of Others

There is a great temptation to develop a critical spirit toward fellow ministers. Our contemporary ministry culture unintentionally feeds this spirit of competition through conferences, bestseller lists, and church growth strategies and metrics. Elevating “evangelical superstars” may also feed this spirit of competition. I am of “John,” I am of the other “John,” I am of “Mark,” or Voddie, or whomever… you get the point.

A critical spirit toward a brother in Christ causes us to question our brother’s motives. Whenever we assume we know the motivations of another, we cross the divide and set ourselves up as God. We usurp the place of God by sitting in judgment of a brother. All of us, at one time or another, have been guilty of this great sin. (Mt. 7:1-5)

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