As I was reading through Chapter 18, one thing stuck out that I had heard before but I don't think I have ever applied it: To work for God is a gift, not a responsibility (vs. 7).
God doesn't need us. Period. He could do everything on His own if He wanted - but He doesn't. Because He loves us, He lets us take part in His ministry. He lets us do some of the work for Him so that we can have a taste of some of the joy and happiness that comes from it. And this isn't some sort of Tom Sawyer-scheme, this is the real deal!
Yes, God's work is demanding. It was for Aaron and Moses in this passage; but even though it was demanding, it was still a joy to take part in. God's work is tiresome, and in all reality, is somewhat of an uphill battle. We are facing the very Master of Darkness and all of his imps, and that is not an easy task. Paul tells us that we do not battle with flesh and blood, but with principalities of darkness. It is a very real spiritual battle taking place that all of us who work for God are in (and not just ministers - any Christian!), and like any war, it is rough. But we should feel privileged to even be a part of this war, because while the war is rough now, there is still some glory and joy that comes from it (and the ultimate prize is coming soon!)
So, just when you start to feel bogged down by ministry (like I do so often), just remember that God's work is a gift, and we should accept that gift with joy, because that is what it was intended to be.
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