Three kings were in trouble. Jehoram of Israel, Jehoshaphat of Judah and the king of Edom had marched their armies into the wilderness to fight Moab, and after seven days of travel there was no water left for the soldiers or the animals. Panic was setting in. Then Jehoshaphat asked the obvious question: was there not a prophet of the Lord somewhere nearby, someone through whom they could seek God?
One of the servants of the king of Israel answered, and his reply is one of the most quietly remarkable introductions in the Bible: “Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands of Elijah” (2 Kings 3:11).
Think about that. By this time Elisha had parted the Jordan. He had healed the waters of Jericho. He was carrying a double portion of the spirit that had rested on Elijah. Yet when people wanted to describe him, the first thing they said was not “the man of miracles” or “the great prophet.” They said, “He is the one who poured water on Elijah’s hands.” His reputation had been formed in the years of serving another man’s ministry, carrying another man’s water and walking behind another man’s mantle.
That says something about how God builds leaders. And it raises a question that reaches well beneath the language of ministry into the condition of the heart. Can you serve faithfully when the assignment did not begin with you, when the final decision is not yours, and when the results may bring someone else more recognition?
Many people are eager to lead while the role offers visibility. The test becomes far clearer when service requires patience, correction or labour that nobody notices. This teaching is about that test, and about how to pass it in a way that honours both the people you serve with and the Lord you ultimately answer to.
Whose work are you carrying?
A steward is someone who has been given responsibility for something that belongs to another. In Christian ministry, every human leader is a steward, because every human leader remains accountable to Christ. You may serve within a vision entrusted to a founder or a senior pastor, but the people and the work ultimately belong to the Lord. Hold on to that truth, because it will protect you from two opposite dangers: rivalry on one side, and blind allegiance on the other.
Paul confronted a church in Corinth that had divided into camps around their favourite ministers. Some said, “I am of Paul.” Others said, “I am of Apollos.” Paul refused to let it continue:
Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.
One planted. Another watered. God gave the increase. And notice the last verse: “For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.” The field belongs to God. The building belongs to God. The workers do not get to take the place of the Owner.
A chapter later Paul defines what ministers are:
Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
Stewards of the mysteries of God, and the one thing required of a steward is that he be found faithful. Not brilliant. Not famous. Not even successful by the world’s measures. Faithful. In its immediate setting, Paul is speaking about apostolic ministry and the gospel entrusted to him. But the stewardship principle reaches every level of service: responsibility must be exercised according to the purposes of the one to whom we answer.
Jesus put the principle in a form that should sober every ambitious heart: “And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own?” (Luke 16:12). Faithfulness in someone else’s assignment is the training ground for your own. Joshua is described for years as “the servant of Moses, one of his young men” (Numbers 11:28) before he ever led Israel across the Jordan.
So when you serve in another person’s ministry, take the trouble to learn what has actually been entrusted to you. What are the ministry’s core convictions about the gospel? Whom is it called to serve? What exactly does your assignment include? Which decisions have been delegated to you, and which require approval? Vague expectations produce a great deal of avoidable conflict.
It often helps to write important responsibilities down. A short role description can prevent months of tension. Clarity is not a sign that people lack spirituality. When a practical problem arose in the early church over the daily distribution of food to widows, the apostles did not accuse the neglected widows of failing to honour the vision. They recognised a real problem, appointed responsible men with clear qualifications, and gave them a defined task (Acts 6:1-7). The result was that “the word of God increased.”
PunchlineFaithfulness in what belongs to another is the training ground for what God will one day entrust to you.
Understand the vision before you try to improve it
New leaders often arrive with useful experience and fresh ideas, and still misunderstand the ministry they have joined. Spend time listening first. Ask how the work began, what needs it was raised up to address, and which convictions must be preserved at all costs. Then learn to distinguish the central purpose from the methods that serve it. Methods can change. Purpose should not drift.
Here is a simple example. A ministry may exist to establish believers in sound biblical understanding. Its Tuesday evening meeting time is a method. Its commitment to careful teaching is part of its purpose. Moving the meeting to Thursday may serve the vision well. Replacing careful teaching with constant entertainment, even if it draws a bigger crowd, may gradually displace the very thing the ministry exists to do. Good judgement learns to recognise which kind of decision is being made.
People often quote Habakkuk 2:2 when they talk about ministry vision: “Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.” It is worth reading in its setting. The prophet had complained to God about injustice, and God gave him a revelation concerning His appointed judgement and the posture of faith required while waiting for it. Two verses later comes the great line, “the just shall live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4). The principle of writing things down clearly is wise and useful. But we should be careful not to treat every organisational plan as though it carries the authority of prophetic revelation. A ministry plan may be prayerfully formed and still remain open to examination and adjustment.
There is also a larger boundary around every local vision. Jesus gave it before He ascended:
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
All power is given to Him. Every local vision must serve His command to make disciples, baptise them and teach them to observe what He commanded. No founder’s preference can authorise another gospel, the exploitation of people, or disobedience to the Lord. Recognising the authority under which a vision stands is not a way of disrespecting it. It is the very thing that makes it worth honouring.
Character carries what gifting attracts
When Paul wrote to Timothy about choosing overseers and deacons, he could have written mainly about gifting. He did not. Read 1 Timothy 3:1-13 and you will find one line about the ability to teach, surrounded by a long list of character qualities: blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre, patient, not a brawler, not covetous, one that ruleth well his own house, having a good report of them which are without. Gifting matters. But in Paul’s mind, gifting is the smaller part of leadership. A gifted speaker whose private life is destructive remains a danger to the people he impresses.
Character becomes visible under pressure. Can you tell the truth when the mistake is yours? Can you account for money when nobody suspects a problem? Can you receive correction without punishing the person who gave it? These are ministry questions, even when they arise far away from the pulpit.
Listen to how Paul commended Timothy to the Philippians:
But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state. For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s. But ye know the proof of him, that, as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the gospel.
“I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state.” Timothy’s genuine concern for the believers, and his proven service alongside Paul “as a son with the father,” made him trustworthy. The passage does not mean every leader must have Timothy’s temperament. It shows why proven concern weighs far more than a claim to greatness. Paul had watched Timothy for years. “Ye know the proof of him,” he says.
So do not rush responsibility on someone simply because they have a striking gift. Give people appropriate opportunities, clear expectations and honest feedback. A person can grow a great deal through serving before they ever receive a title. Equally, do not keep a mature worker in permanent uncertainty because you are afraid of their development. Stewardship includes helping others become able to serve well.
Paul’s instruction to Timothy shows the pattern: “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2). Four generations in a single verse: Paul, Timothy, faithful men, others also. Multiplication requires both reliability and capacity. A ministry becomes stronger when its teaching can be carried faithfully by more than one personality.
Honour with a clear conscience
Scripture calls believers to honour those who lead them. Paul writes, “And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake” (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13). The writer to the Hebrews speaks of leaders who “watch for your souls, as they that must give account” (Hebrews 13:17). Honour takes real responsibility seriously. It should shape our tone, our readiness to cooperate and the care with which we handle disagreement.
But these passages do not give any leader the authority to require sin. When the Sanhedrin ordered the apostles to stop preaching, Peter answered, “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). And Jesus deliberately set His kingdom apart from domineering patterns of rule:
But Jesus called them to him , and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
“But so shall it not be among you.” Leadership in the kingdom looks like the Son of Man, who came to serve and to give His life. Peter, who heard those words from Jesus’ own lips, later instructed elders to feed the flock of God “not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:2-3).
So we reject both contempt and unquestioning submission. Contempt dismisses legitimate leadership whenever our preferences are frustrated. Unquestioning submission refuses to examine conduct even when people are being harmed. Christian honour can ask a sincere question, report a serious concern and decline a dishonest instruction, all while maintaining a respectful heart.
David’s refusal to kill Saul is often used in this discussion, and it deserves careful reading. In 1 Samuel 24, Saul went into a cave where David and his men were hiding. David’s men urged him to kill the king. David cut off a piece of Saul’s robe, and even that troubled his conscience. “The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the LORD’S anointed” (1 Samuel 24:6). But read the whole account. David refused vengeance, yes. He also stayed out of Saul’s reach, and he spoke truthfully to Saul about the injustice he was suffering. The passage does not teach that a person must remain exposed to abuse. It teaches restraint when you have the opportunity to destroy the one who has wronged you.
NuggetA healthy leader makes room for truthful information. If every question is labelled rebellion, problems will become harder to see until they are much harder to repair. Real honour helps truth reach the people responsible for acting on it.
Serving without building a rival centre
When Jesus began His public ministry, the crowds that had followed John the Baptist started to follow Jesus. John’s disciples were troubled and came to tell him. His answer is a masterclass in stewardship:
John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.
“He must increase, but I must decrease.” John’s joy was bound up with the fulfilment of his calling, and his calling was to point beyond himself. The unique relationship between John and the Messiah must be respected; none of us is in John’s position. But the passage exposes the jealousy that can rise in any heart when another person receives attention we thought belonged to us.
Scripture also gives us the opposite picture. Absalom, David’s son, would rise early and stand beside the gate of the city. Whenever someone came with a case for the king, Absalom would call him over, listen sympathetically, and say, “See, thy matters are good and right; but there is no man deputed of the king to hear thee” (2 Samuel 15:3). He would then add how much better things would be if only he were in charge. When people bowed to him, he would take them by the hand and kiss them. Scripture’s verdict is brief: “so Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel” (2 Samuel 15:6).
In delegated ministry, rivalry rarely begins with a rebellion. It begins quietly, the way Absalom’s did. A worker presents every success as personal achievement. He suggests, in small ways, that only he really understands the people. He holds on to information so that the ministry cannot function without him. The work stays busy while trust weakens underneath it.
Let me give you a picture. Kayode is an associate minister. Members regularly come to him because he listens well, and that is a genuine gift. Over time, though, he begins to say things like, “I am not sure the senior pastor really cares about you the way I do.” Some of the concerns he hears are real. But he never raises them through a responsible channel. Instead he cultivates private loyalty, collects contact details, and starts quietly preparing a separate group.
The ethical failure here is not that Kayode may one day lead a ministry of his own. God may well call him to that. The failure is the misuse of entrusted relationships and the avoidance of a truthful process. He should raise concerns clearly with the right people, protect confidentiality, and keep a sharp distinction between pastoral care and recruiting personal allegiance. If departure becomes necessary, it should be handled honestly and in the open.
Senior leaders carry responsibility here too. They should not treat every growing relationship as a threat or punish capable workers for becoming trusted. Give appropriate responsibility, share credit generously and celebrate the growth of the people under you. The aim is a healthy body under Christ, where gifts can mature without becoming weapons in a struggle for control.
Faithfulness in practical things
A ministry’s vision reaches people through ordinary tasks. Start when you said you would start. Prepare the lesson properly. Return the call. Record expenditure. Protect personal information. Explain a delay before it becomes a surprise. Jesus said, “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much” (Luke 16:10). These small actions tell people whether you can be relied upon.
Money deserves particular care. When Paul was organising a large financial gift for the poor believers in Jerusalem, he deliberately arranged for trusted brothers to travel with it, explaining that he was “Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men” (2 Corinthians 8:21). Good intentions do not remove the need for transparent handling. Use receipts. Require approvals. Separate duties, so that no single person controls every stage of receiving, authorising and reviewing funds without oversight. This protects the people giving, and it protects the people handling the money too.
Pastoral information requires equal care. A counselling conversation is not material for a sermon illustration without permission and careful protection of identity. A prayer request should never become a channel for gossip. Where there is a safeguarding concern or a legal duty, explain the limits of confidentiality honestly. Never promise secrecy that would prevent a vulnerable person from being protected.
Respect boundaries around time and family as well. Paul linked a man’s leadership of his own household with his suitability for leading the church (1 Timothy 3:4-5). A church worker’s exhaustion should not automatically be celebrated as devotion. Plan the work realistically, train backups, and allow people to rest. A ministry that only functions while its workers neglect their homes is carrying a problem it has not yet faced.
And review the work with useful questions. Are people actually understanding the Scriptures? Are new believers receiving care? Are responsibilities clear? What concern has repeatedly gone unheard? Numbers help us observe activity, but attendance alone cannot tell you whether people are being formed in Christ.
Disagreement, correction and transition
When disagreement arises, first identify what kind it is. Is it a difference of preference? A question of judgement? A doctrinal concern? An allegation of misconduct? The response must fit the issue. Treating a scheduling disagreement as rebellion inflames it unnecessarily. Treating abuse as a personality clash conceals how serious it is.
Jesus gave a clear pattern for addressing sin in the community: “Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone” (Matthew 18:15). It is wise and healthy. But it must never be used to force a vulnerable person to confront an alleged abuser alone, or to prevent proper safeguarding and reporting to the authorities. Paul also instructed Timothy, “Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses” (1 Timothy 5:19), and then told him to rebuke those who sin before all, without partiality (1 Timothy 5:20-21). Fairness to the accused and accountability for wrongdoing both belong in a godly process.
For an ordinary operational concern, go directly to the person responsible. State the facts, explain the effect, and suggest a workable way forward. Do not gather an audience before you have sought clarity. Where the matter is serious or decisions need to be followed up, keep a written record.
If you are the one being corrected, listen before you defend yourself. Ask what needs to change and agree on the next step. If the correction is mistaken, explain calmly with the relevant facts. Humility never requires you to confess to something untrue. It requires you to stay open to the truth.
When the time comes to move on, leave well. Hand over authorised records, equipment and unfinished tasks properly. Ministry contacts and confidential information are not personal assets to be carried away for recruitment. Communicate your departure through an agreed, honest process wherever possible. If the circumstances involve danger or serious wrongdoing, then protecting people and reporting appropriately must take priority over a ceremonial exit.
Stewardship that continues beyond you
Every faithful steward eventually hands the work on. Moses did it with Joshua. At the end of Deuteronomy we read, “And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him” (Deuteronomy 34:9). Moses could not take Israel into the promised land, but he could prepare the man who would. Forty years of shared journeying, of Joshua waiting at the foot of the mountain and lingering in the tabernacle, had formed a successor.
Leadership becomes most fruitful when it equips others to carry responsibility. Paul describes the church growing up into Christ, “from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part” (Ephesians 4:16). Every joint supplies something. A ministry should never confuse dependence on one personality with spiritual health.
So train someone to do what you do. Explain why it matters. Let them practise, review their work with them and gradually delegate real authority. Keep teaching notes and necessary records so that knowledge is not lost when a worker is absent. Preparing for continuity is an expression of love for the people being served. It says, “This work matters more than my place in it.”
PunchlineThe day will come when someone else occupies the place you now hold. Serve in such a way that they inherit truth they can trust, relationships that have been honoured, and work that can be understood and carried forward.
Which brings us back to Elisha. When Elijah was taken up, Elisha picked up the mantle that fell from him and walked back to the Jordan. He struck the water and asked, “Where is the LORD God of Elijah?” (2 Kings 2:14). The waters parted. Notice that he did not ask, “Where is Elijah?” The prophet he had served was gone, but the God of that prophet was not. Elisha’s years of pouring water had taught him where the power had always come from.
That is the heart of stewardship. The final measure of our service is the Lord’s judgement, not the loudness of our claims to loyalty or the size of our platform. A faithful steward can be deeply grateful for responsibility without ever mistaking it for ownership. Pour the water faithfully. Carry what belongs to another with integrity. The God of the one you serve is your God too, and He sees.
Teaching Companion
For Reflection
- What has been entrusted to you in the ministry or organisation you serve? Could you write it down clearly in a few sentences?
- In your context, what belongs to the core purpose, and what is only method?
- Where do you see the difference between honour and unquestioning submission? Have you seen either one go wrong?
- Is there any place where you are tempted to build a private following, even in small ways? What would faithful stewardship look like there instead?
- Who are you training to carry what you carry?
This Week
Write a one-page description of your current area of service: what it is for, what you are responsible for, what needs approval, and who you report to. Share it with your leader and ask whether it matches their understanding. Then identify one person you can begin to train in part of your work, and arrange to have them serve alongside you this month.
A Prayer
Lord Jesus, You came not to be served but to serve, and to give Your life. Make me a faithful steward. Help me to carry what belongs to another with integrity, joy and care. Guard my heart from rivalry, from the hunger for recognition, and from the quiet theft of hearts. Give me courage to honour leaders truthfully and to speak up when people are being harmed. Teach me to pour water faithfully, and to train others to carry the work beyond me. Let me be found faithful when I give account to You. Amen.
Truth received brings freedom. Truth believed establishes the heart.
Scripture quotations are from the King James Version. · Illustrations using first names only are composites unless stated otherwise.