Written by Justin Jackson, pastor of theological development at Stonegate Church in Midlothian, Texas
Stepping into ministry often feels like standing at the base of a mountain you think you understand—until someone who’s actually made the climb starts describing the real ascent. From a distance, ministry looks peaceful, purposeful, even idyllic. When I was first thinking about ministry, I pictured long mornings in Scripture, encouraging conversations over coffee, and the joy of watching people grow. Little did I know how difficult the path of ministry actually was.
Anyone who has taken even a few steps up the slope knows the truth: Ministry is beautiful, but it’s also dangerous, stretching, and costly in ways few anticipate. In my recent article, I explore four prerequisites for ministry that rarely make it into the conversation—realities every aspiring pastor, church planter, or ministry leader must face with eyes open. Ministry, by design, involves uncertainty. It calls for embracing hard things. It leads us straight into seasons of suffering and loss. And it demands a kind of resilience that isn’t fueled by sheer grit but by joy—real, Jesus-centered joy.
I had to learn the hard way. These aren’t obstacles God forgot to remove from the path; they are the path. Uncertainty trains us to hope. Hard things shape our character. Suffering forms us into Christ’s image. And resilience keeps us moving with joy toward the people and places God has called us to serve. After 17 years of pastoral ministry, I can echo what an expert hiker once told me before a long climb: This journey might just kill you. But I can also say this: It’s worth it. Every risk, every sacrifice, every small death along the way is a doorway for someone else’s life in Christ.
If you feel drawn toward ministry, don’t pull back from the difficulty. Lean in. God does some of his best work on the steep parts of the climb.
—Justin
