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“The battle is not yours, but God’s.” 2 Chronicles 20:15 (NLT)Pastor, imagine you’re sitting on a plane that’s about to take off. As the plane races down the runway, you start flapping your arms. As the nose lifts, you flap faster and faster. Once you’re airborne, the flight attendant looks at you and asks, “What are you doing?”And you reply, “I’m helping us get off the ground.”That sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it?But that’s often what ministry looks like when you try to do what only God is equipped to do.You don’t have to hold up a plane. And you don’t have to hold up God.Many pastors are exhausted—not because they’re lazy or unfaithful, but because they’re fighting battles that don’t belong to them. You were never meant to carry the full weight of people’s hearts, church outcomes, financial pressures, criticism, or cultural resistance on your own shoulders.God says it plainly: “The battle is not yours, but God’s” (2 Chronicles 20:15 NLT).Still, when pressure hits, it’s easy to slip into independence.I’ve got to fix this.I need to make this work.If it’s going to change, it’s up to me.That mindset will wear you out—because you were never designed to play God.Maybe you’ve been running in circles trying to solve a problem in your church, your leadership team, your family, your health, or your future. You’ve been pushing, striving, carrying, and controlling. And now you’re tired.When your strength finally runs out and you come back to God, you might feel like you’ve failed. But God isn’t disappointed in you—because he never expected you to do what only he can do.Here’s the truth: You don’t have God in your hands. He has you in his.If you think you’re holding God together, that isn’t faith—it’s pressure. Anything you think you can fully control isn’t from God; it’s a burden you were never meant to carry.So this Monday, let go.Surrender the battles that have been draining your joy and stealing your rest. Hand them back to the one who actually knows how to fight them. And listen for God’s gracious response, which might sound something like:“Good. Now we can get something done.”You were called to be faithful, not to be God.

As we pastors step into a new year, we know we don’t control what’s ahead. We can plan, prepare, and pray, but ministry has a way of reminding us quickly that there is never complete or permanent security where people are involved. The future can feel uncertain, not because God is absent, but because we are not in control.One of the marks of emotional and spiritual maturity is coming to terms with that reality. We are not God. We cannot control everything that happens in ministry. Mature faith learns to focus on what God has made us responsible for and to accept without anxiety the things that are beyond our control.There are many things you can’t count on as a new year begins. But there is one thing you can count on: God is in control. Scripture declares, “Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours. . . . You rule over everything” (1 Chronicles 29:11-12 NLT). God’s sovereignty means he remains the ultimate authority. He is in charge. And that truth brings stability in a world—and a ministry—that often feels uncertain.As we look ahead to the rest of 2026, keep these implications of God’s sovereignty in mind as you lead.Implication #1: Because God Is in Control, My Plans Have a LimitEvery new year invites planning. Pastors think about sermon calendars, ministry goals, staffing, and budgets. Planning is wise. Scripture affirms it. But God’s sovereignty reminds us that our plans are never absolute. They always have a limit.The Living Bible paraphrase puts it this way: “We should make plans—counting on God to direct us” (Proverbs 16:9). We make real choices, but we don’t control outcomes. God does. That truth doesn’t make planning unnecessary; it makes it humble. One of the gifts of maturity is recognizing the difference between responsibility and control. We’re called to plan faithfully, but we’re not called to play God.Scripture shows us this balance clearly. God gives us freedom to choose, but our choices operate within his larger purposes. Like a chess match against a grandmaster or a journey on a ship headed toward its destination, we may make many decisions along the way, but the final outcome isn’t in doubt. God is at work accomplishing his will.For pastors, this is freeing news. It means we can plan diligently without carrying the burden of guaranteeing results. We prepare, we lead, and we steward what God places before us, trusting that he remains in control of where the journey ultimately leads.Implication #2: Because God Is in Control, My Problems Have a PurposeWhen problems show up in ministry, our first instinct is often to eliminate them as quickly as possible. We look for solutions, fixes, or explanations. But God’s sovereignty invites us to see problems differently. If God were not in control, our difficulties would be random and meaningless.Because God is sovereign, problems are never random. They are woven into his purposes, even when we don’t yet see how. Life is not a series of disconnected events. History is moving somewhere. God is at work accomplishing his will, not only through moments we would choose, but also through pressures we would rather avoid.This matters deeply for pastors. Ministry brings challenges we didn’t plan for and wouldn’t schedule. Conflict, delay, and disappointment can leave us questioning whether we’ve stepped outside God’s will. But God’s sovereignty assures us that difficulty does not mean detour. He uses problems to shape our character, refine our priorities, and deepen our dependence on him.Knowing that God is in control doesn’t minimize the pain of problems, but it does give them meaning. We don’t have to understand every difficulty to trust that God is at work through them. In his hands, even problems become part of how he forms us and advances his purposes through our ministry. Implication #3: Because God Is in Control, My Prayers Have an ImpactWhen we believe God is truly in control, prayer becomes more than a last resort. It becomes our first response. Prayer matters not because of our words or persistence, but because of who we’re praying to. If God were distant or indifferent, prayer would be little more than wishful thinking. But if God is sovereign, prayer is participation in his work.God’s control does not make prayer unnecessary. It makes prayer meaningful. He invites us to bring our concerns, our needs, and our hopes to him because he is already at work and chooses to involve us. Prayer is one of the ways God aligns our hearts with what he is doing in the world and in our ministry.For pastors, this is especially encouraging. We often pray about things we cannot fix, change, or fully understand. We pray for people whose lives feel fragile. We pray for direction when decisions feel unclear. Trusting God’s sovereignty reminds us that prayer is never wasted. It places us in step with the one who is already moving.As this year continues, prayer anchors us not in outcomes we can’t control, but in the God who can be trusted completely.As the year unfolds, many things will remain uncertain. Plans will change. Problems will arise. The future will still be unknown. But the one thing you can count on hasn’t changed. God is in control. That truth steadies us when ministry feels unpredictable and reminds us we’re never leading alone.

Pastor, it doesn’t take long in ministry to realize that people have short memories. One day you’re leading someone to Christ; the next day they’ve left for the new church down the street. One Sunday someone tells you they loved the sermon; by midweek they can’t remember what it was about. After a while, you can start to feel invisible—taken for granted.That experience isn’t new. The Israelites had a short memory when it came to Moses. Just three days after the Red Sea miracle—at the very first sign of trouble—they started doubting his leadership. If that happened to Moses, it can certainly happen to you.We live in a what‑have‑you‑done‑for‑me‑lately world. Children forget what their parents have done for them. Bosses forget what their employees have done for them. Spouses take each other for granted. And people in your church can forget your love and sacrifice too.So what do you do when you feel taken for granted in ministry? Moses gives a great example of what to do with your hurt.1. Don’t curse it.When Moses heard the Israelites grumble, it would have been natural to respond in anger. Most of us would have done that. But Moses didn’t. Revenge just wasn’t an option.When people don’t appreciate you, choose not to strike back. Leave your frustration in God’s hands. When you let God settle the score, you are well represented. “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse” (Romans 12:14 NASB).Instead of cursing those who forget you, speak positively about them. Ask God to bless them, even when they’ve hurt you.2. Don’t rehearse it.Every time you review the hurt you feel when you’ve been taken for granted, it gets bigger. If you’ve served someone selflessly and then they criticize you, it hurts. But if you’re not careful, that hurt will quickly grow out of proportion.Notice that Moses never kept going back over the pain. He focused on the future. Rehearsing pain is a dangerous habit in ministry because soon you’re addicted to it. I’ve met some very bitter pastors who allowed experiences of their past to color their perception until they thought everybody was against them. You can’t allow that to happen.3. Don’t nurse it.Don’t allow yourself to hold a private pity party. It’s okay to be angry for a moment. Anger is a legitimate response to hurt. But holding on to anger becomes sin. “Don’t get so angry that you sin. Don’t go to bed angry, and don’t give the devil a chance” (Ephesians 4:26–27 CEV).If you are a leader, you can expect to be misunderstood. It’s a fact of leadership. If you choose not to take the disappointment personally, you’ll avoid becoming cynical.What to Do Instead When You Feel ForgottenSo, what should you do when you feel forgotten and taken for granted? Moses and Joseph in the Old Testament show us a better way.First, share your pain with God.Often we go to the wrong people with our pain. We go to the people who’ve mistreated us and remind them of their oversight—or we complain to others and spread our hurt. Instead, take your pain to God. He can take whatever you dish out to him. He understands what it feels like to be rejected and forgotten.Pour out your frustration honestly in prayer. Tell God exactly how you feel. He already knows anyway.Second, expect God to reverse your disappointment.God is the master of reversing hurts. Remember the story of Joseph in the Old Testament? Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery. Then, 20 years later, he was able to say, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50:20 NIV).Joseph had every reason to be cynical. His own family had sold him out. But he wasn’t cynical. He trusted that God was working for good behind the scenes.Moses had a similar experience. The people had been whining and complaining because they didn’t have water—and when they did get water, it was bitter. But where did God lead them after that? He led them to a place of abundant water. God reversed the situation and showed his goodness.Pastor, God can do the same with the way you’ve been treated in ministry. What others forget, God remembers. What others overlook, God will one day honor.Friend, I don’t know how you’ve been taken for granted in ministry. But I do know this: God has not forgotten you. He’s seen every act of service. He’s watched every time you’ve faithfully prepared a message. He has walked into the room of the dying person with you. He’s listened as you’ve prayed for the direction of your church. He’s seen your secret acts of service.Others may take you for granted, but God doesn’t. And in the end, his “Well done” is the only approval that really matters.

Every pastor will spend time in God’s waiting room. You pray for a breakthrough—a stronger team, a new building, spiritual renewal—and nothing seems to move. You wonder, “God, why the delay?”If that’s where you are, take heart: A delay is not a denial.God’s timing is perfect. He’s never early, never late, and always right on schedule. In the Living Bible paraphrase, God says, “These things I plan won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair. . . . They will not be overdue a single day” (Habakkuk 2:3).God may not fulfill your vision immediately because he’s doing something bigger than you can see. While you’re waiting, he’s working—arranging circumstances, shaping your character, and preparing the blessings he intends to give.God’s Waiting Room Is a ClassroomEvery delay in your life is a test of your faith. “So Abraham received what God promised because he waited patiently for it ” (Hebrews 6:15 GW). The waiting revealed the kind of faith Abraham had—and God does the same with us.In the early years of Saddleback Church, I learned this lesson firsthand. For 15 years we met in borrowed buildings—79 different ones—before we ever built a permanent facility. More than 10,000 people were attending before we broke ground on our first building. Every setback was another opportunity to trust God’s timing rather than my own.I once thought the waiting was about property and permits, but God was after something deeper. He wanted to build people before buildings. He wanted to develop faith before foundations. Looking back, I can see that the delays strengthened our church far more than instant success ever would have.While You’re Waiting, God Is WorkingGod doesn’t waste delays. They’re not wasted time—they’re training time. The same God who made you a promise is shaping you into the kind of person who can handle its fulfillment.You may be waiting for growth in your congregation, for unity in your leadership, for revival in your city, or even for personal renewal in your own soul. Whatever the wait looks like, remember: God is never in a hurry, but he’s always on time.“Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to act” (Psalm 37:7 NLT). When you learn to trust God’s pace, you discover that the waiting is not punishment—it’s preparation.Don’t Waste the WaitingWaiting doesn’t mean doing nothing. Keep praying, keep serving, keep believing. Use the delay to deepen your roots. While you’re waiting for God to act around you, let him work within you.Moses spent 40 years in the desert before leading Israel out of Egypt. Joseph spent years in prison before fulfilling his dream. Even Jesus spent 30 years in preparation for three years of ministry. Waiting time is never wasted time when God is involved.God’s Delays Have a PurposeYou may not understand why God seems to be taking his time. But you can be sure of this: He’s weaving every detail together for his glory and your growth. What looks like a delay may be God’s way of preparing you for something far better than you imagined.At Saddleback, I saw God turn disappointment into direction, change closed doors into new opportunities, and grow long seasons of waiting into testimonies of his perfect timing. The same God who guided us will guide you.So if you’re in God’s waiting room today, don’t lose heart. Don’t waste the waiting. Let God use it to stretch your faith, shape your character, and strengthen your ministry. He’s never late, and when the time is right, the vision he’s placed in your heart will come to pass—right on schedule.