When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

John 6:5-6 (NIV)

 

Rest is lost when your passion for ministry is replaced by pressure.

When we no longer have the passion or energy to do those things for God's glory, it is a good idea to take a step back or even to step down before we end up hating what we used to enjoy. Most of the time, we have forgotten that God is more concerned in growing us than growing our ministry. When we and God do not share the same priority, we frustrate ourselves as well as what God is doing.

According to the Apostle John, Jesus was testing Philip to see who he would place his trust in when confronted with such a seemingly impossible assignment. Unless God increases your ability to totally trust Him, your potential to act in faith is inherently limited. In Philip's hands, the five loaves and two fish remains five loaves and two fish. However, when they were placed in Jesus’ hands, five thousand men and their families were fed.

While the disciples felt the pressure to produce results, Jesus didn't.

When ministry is not done out of rest, you are depending on your ability to produce rather than God's ability to perform through you. God wants ministry to come from a place of overflow with Him, a fruit of your intimate connection with Him. This will make ministry a real joy, and not a burden.

What is God saying to me here and what must I do?