Many preachers have to fight against the sin of envy. It is easy to fall into the trap of comparing your ministry with those of your fellow ministers. For example, when preachers meet, it doesn’t take long for the question to come up, “How big is your congregation?” There is a temptation to inflate the numbers just a bit. For years I have answered that question with the following statement—“We are running something under 500 in attendance.” 70 or 80 is something under 500, right?!

Preachers aren’t the only Christians who are tempted to be envious. The truth is, there are many people in God’s kingdom who have the same kind of ministry that you have. And, quite frankly, a lot of them are doing it better than you.

Ministry is not a competition. All that God expects from each of us is to do our very best at what he has called us to do. We mustn’t be envious of others.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.”—1 Corinthians 13:4.