바울의 마지막 문안 인사 (11) 두기고와 오네시모의 두 번째 공통점은 그들은 신실한 사람들이었습니다 ( 골 4:7, 9). 흥미로운 점은 바울은 골로새 교 회 성도들에게 마지막 문안 인사를 하면서 신실한 사람들인 두기고와 오네시모를 언급하였는데 , 시작 인사를 보면 그는 골로새에 있는 성도들 “ 곧 그리스도 안에서 신실한 형제들 ” (1:2) 하고 언급했을 뿐만 아니라 에바브라는 그들을 위한 “ 그리스도의 신실한 일꾼 ”(7 절 ) 이라고 말했다는 것입니다 . 여기 골로새서 1 장 2 절에서 “신실한 형제들”이란 말을 현대인의 성경은 “그리스도를 믿는 형제들”이라고 번역을 했 는 데 여기서 “신실한 형제들”이란 예수 그리스도를 계속해 서 신실하게 믿는 형제들입니다 . “신실한 형제들”이란 (1) 믿음이 충만한 자들이요 (full of faith), (2) 신뢰하는 사람들 (trustful) 이요 , 또한 신뢰할 만한 사람들 (trustworthy) 로서 (3) 그리스도에게 충성된 자들 (loyal to Christ) 입니다 (KJV 성경 주석 ). “그리스도 안에서 신실한 형제들”은 그리스도에게 충성된 자들이요 예수 그리스도의 충성된 증인들 입니다 ( 계 1:5). 그들은 흠 없이 정직하게 주님을 따르며 ( 시 101:6), 지극히 작은 것에도 충성하며 ( 눅 16:10), 죽도록 충성하여 ( 계 2:10) 주님 앞에서 설 때에 “잘하였다 착한 종이여 네가 지극히 작은 것에 충성하였”다는 주님의 칭찬 ( 눅 19:17) 과 더불어 주님께로부터 생명의 면류관을 받을 사람들입니다 ( 계 2:10).
"What My Dad Taught Me About Successful Ministry
For the entirety of my life until last year, my father served as a pastor in small churches in the Northeast. I watched him lead through the worship wars of the 1990s, through 9/11, and through the COVID-19 pandemic. After 41 years in the pastorate, he retired.
Over the summer, my mom, my brothers, and our families gathered to celebrate. It was an intimate gathering at the family camp we attended each summer since I was a boy. We also compiled a video of people from the three churches he served. Each story was unique, but I was struck by a common message. People talked about a pastor who was also a friend—someone who made them laugh, provided godly help, and walked with them through their dark and difficult days.
As I watched my dad tearfully receive those words of thanksgiving, I considered his view of success. In him, I’ve seen a way of doing ministry that strengthens the soul and builds endurance for . It involves a healthy view of rest, humble love, and a faithful walk with God.
Healthy Rest
describes the rest we enter because of Christ’s finished work on the cross. Verse 10 says, “Whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.”
Rest is tricky, but throughout my dad’s career, he made sure to take days off. He used his vacation time and took sabbaticals when they were available. This required trusting God with his work enough to confidently walk away from it for a day, a week, or even three months. It took humility to know he wasn’t so important that the ministry wouldn’t continue without him.
A benefit of this view of rest was my dad’s presence in our family life. We spent days off together. Family vacations were a yearly tradition, and Dad was at all my major life events; I never remember feeling like his work at the church was more important than our family.
Insufficient trust and humility can lead to overworked, tired, and . Jesus tells us the Sabbath was made for man (). We’d be wise to listen and enjoy the gift. Sabbath may not make sense in today’s economy, but stepping away from our work will only make it better.
Humble Love
My dad loves people. He’s a faithful shepherd who would disciple anyone willing to follow him as he followed Christ (). Whenever I asked my dad how work was, he’d have a story about someone growing in his faith or coming to know Jesus. The people he met at church, around town, at the hospital, or in homeless shelters meant more to him than attendance, programs, or money.
The people my dad met at church, around town, at the hospital, or in homeless shelters meant more to him than attendance, programs, or money.
It wasn’t just his love for people that stood out—it was his humility toward them. He considered others’ needs more than his own. He patiently led people and congregations through the long, slow work of discipleship. He never viewed them as a means to an end.
How often have we known or been the type of leader who sought personal gain? Are we obsessed with networking, , or finding fulfillment in church growth? When we are, our lack of humility can tempt us to lose patience with those we lead. But when we humble ourselves before God and others, we find the freedom to love and lead without expecting something in return.
Faithful Walk
I have vivid childhood memories of waking up to find my dad sitting in silence and solitude with his Bible and a cup of coffee. He was consistent in his walk with God, and he led others from an overflow of the Spirit’s work in his life. His devotion has become even clearer to me in the last year. In retirement, nothing has changed. I see it, and his grandkids see it. When we’re in the same house, he’s still the first person awake with his Bible and coffee. Dad may have retired from ministry, but his walk with God continues.
I’ve learned the hard way that my walk with God matters more than my work for him, and I can’t do the latter without the former.
I often do my work for God, not with him. My study, prayer, and spiritual practices are more connected to my ministry than I’d like to admit. I’ve learned the hard way that my walk with God matters more than my work for him, and I can’t do the latter without the former. We work with God by abiding in the Vine, dependent on the Spirit to grow his fruit in us (; ).
How do we measure success? Results are often the barometer of success in churches because they’re easier to measure. But God measures by faithfulness rather than results (). As I saw in my dad, he asks us to finish the race, not win it."
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