EP 3: Dear Young Minister, Salvation is Free but Ministry Will Cost You

In this vulnerable episode of the Dear Young Minister podcast, host Simi Deleawe delves deep into the often-overlooked costs of answering God's call to ministry. Drawing insights from "The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership" by John Maxwell, Simi shares personal experiences and hard-earned wisdom about the true price of ministry. Simi offers practical advice on how to navigate these challenges, emphasizing the importance of sensitivity to the Holy Spirit and personal accountability.  This episode offers encouragement for those struggling with their calling, reminding listeners that they're not alone in their journey. Simi paints a vivid picture of God's grace, equipping believers to say 'no' to worldly distractions and 'yes' to His higher purpose.

21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership

LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/dearyoungminister

Transcript

Dear Young Minister,

Salvation is free, but ministry is expensive. My name is Simi Deleawe, and I am the host of the Dear Young Minister podcast. First and foremost, I want to thank you for joining me again. I truly value that you're taking time out of your personal lives to tune into this podcast.

One of the lies the enemy told me, which delayed my podcast launch, was that nobody would care. I genuinely thought there wasn't a market for this content and that no one would listen. Once I overcame that lie, I realized that even if only one person listens and follows God's calling, that would be sufficient.

I began to think: What's the worst that could happen? At least I would be obedient and do exactly what God asked me to do. The fact that you show up and listen makes me feel that there is an audience and that this information is truly needed.

Thank you, I appreciate and love you all. If you think this podcast could bless someone else, please share it. Not everyone is at the stage where they feel they need to walk in God's purpose for their life. If you're not there yet, maybe this podcast isn't for you. But if you know anyone who could benefit, please share it with them. Don't gatekeep; share the love.

Dear young minister, ministry will cost you. Ministry is expensive, and people often don't count the cost. Jesus gave a parable about building a house without first calculating the expenses. You might find yourself halfway through with insufficient resources to complete the project. As ministers of the gospel, you must understand what you're signing up for.

I'll be honest: I had no idea what I was signing up for. I'd never seen anyone do what God was asking me to do. I didn't realize I was essentially becoming a pastor at 18 or 19. Leading Bible studies on campus meant people would come to me for prayer and to express their deepest emotions. While I appreciated this honor, I wasn't prepared for the responsibility and cost of leadership, of walking in God's purpose and vision for me.

I struggled to balance my ministerial calling with the college experience I had imagined. I tried to live a double life, but God ultimately called me to complete commitment. One day, during South by Southwest on Sixth Street, I realized I didn't belong there. That was the last time I visited Sixth Street. The truth was, I hadn't counted the cost of what I'd said yes to.

I recommend the book "The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership" by John Maxwell. As I mentioned before, if you're going to be sent by God, you need resources, community, and leadership training.

It is a red and black book—an amazing, amazing, amazing book. I found this book about two years ago, and I wish I had found it when I was 19 years old because it gives me so much context about leadership that I could have never even imagined on my own. In fact, looking at this book now, I was like, "Dang, I went through that," and if I had had this book, I would have handled it so differently.

I think one of the things that this book opened my eyes to is the power of knowledge. I can only imagine how different my life would have been if I had found this book earlier. So it's okay; I am putting you guys on game. Please note that my affiliate link will be in the show notes below. If you're going to buy it and watch the Young Minister podcast, you might as well support the cause. So please click on my affiliate link in the show notes below.

One thing that I really got from this book, which I believe is in chapter 17 or 18, is the fact that ministry is going to cost you. It is expensive, and if you are not willing to pay the cost, you will be disappointed. And it's not a price that you can negotiate.

You don't get to haggle the price down; it is something that you're going to have to say, "Okay, this is the cost of me saying yes to the calling of God upon my life." I have to let go of some bad habits. I have to make sure that I am not getting caught up in things that I used to get caught up in when I didn't understand the calling of God upon my life.

I did not realize how real the spiritual attack would be as a leader. I didn't realize how real the attack on my mind would be as a leader. Sometimes it wasn't even the devil; sometimes it was me versus me. I felt like I wasn't qualified. Who am I? Why am I here? What do I know that qualifies me to lead these people? It wasn't even enemy work; it was literally me versus me trying to convince myself that I am not supposed to be here.

There were so many things that I felt God needed to deal with within me because I did not count the cost. I did not know what I had signed up for. And so halfway through, I needed to borrow information; I needed to figure things out because I realized this is what I signed up for—this is what I just said yes to.

One thing that stood out in this book is that as your responsibilities increase as a leader, your rights decrease. Think about it almost like a chart with the y-axis and the x-axis: as your responsibilities increase, your rights decrease. Now, I am responsible for more people; I have more influence.

Another way to think about it is that as your influence increases, your rights decrease. Therefore, I am mindful of what I put on social media and how I carry myself.

I may have to understand that even though some things are permissible, they may not be beneficial for the calling of God upon my life. So, there may be things that I cannot wear or places that I cannot go; there may be things that I cannot say or ways that I cannot respond. In many situations, I may have to be the bigger person.

But I must understand that leadership is going to cost me. It's going to cost me my right to be right; it's going to cost me my right to defend myself. Sometimes, even when God calls you, you must understand that this journey will require you to let go of your ego and pride. You need to go in love and forgiveness and avoid clapping back.

There are many things you must understand: leadership, influence, and ministry are not cheap; they are expensive. But you have all the tools you need to pay the price. It is expensive, but it's not too expensive for you because when God called you, He equipped you with everything you need to live a godly life.

I want you to know that as a laborer or minister called by God, this labor is work; it is not cheap; it will cost you—but you have everything you need to pay the price; you just have to tap into it.

God has dealt with me over the years regarding this reality. One thing God made me do when I started leading people was ask myself this question: I'm almost hesitant to say this because part of me knows people will say, "Well, you shouldn't really care what other people think." As much as I understand that sentiment, as a leader, you have a responsibility to people.

Once again, this labor involves serving others and ensuring you lead them toward Jesus and not away from Him—even unintentionally—because you can lead people away from Jesus without meaning to do so. That is why you must be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Even in how I dress, speak, lead, and respond, God made me evaluate how my actions influence others. He made me go back and apologize; He made me change some outfits and throw things away. He made me consider how I'm stewarding my finances.

He made me check myself and do a personal evaluation—not because there was anything necessarily sinful but because He needed me to understand that this is no longer about me.

I know many people will say they don’t live for others' opinions—that they don’t have to please anyone—and everyone always has an opinion about them: one day they’re for you; another day they’re against you. While I definitely understand that perspective and believe in living for an audience of one—Jesus—I also believe in being mindful of those we lead and ensuring we do not lead them astray.

We must be mindful of how we lead and serve others—how we carry ourselves—and we should not allow ourselves simply to do anything or say anything or post anything without consideration.

We must remember that we are called by God; being called by Him means we have a responsibility toward others and must lead them in a way that glorifies Him. If God tells you not to say something because a post on Twitter or social media could be detrimental to someone who lacks full knowledge of the truth, then heed His guidance.
You have to be mindful and say, "Maybe I shouldn't say it," even though it would have been funny, would have gotten laughs, and people would have liked it. I have to be mindful that God is sending me to serve people. If people might draw away from Christ because of what I said, then I need to reconsider and not say it.There is a cost to ministry and leadership. Sometimes that cost looks like revamping what you allow yourself to listen to. If God is going to use you, He needs to ensure that what you're putting into your system is holy, righteous, and pure—something that will not pollute the good work He's trying to do in you.

I do believe that your music should be wholesome. I do believe that your music should not promote wickedness. It shouldn't promote promiscuity. It shouldn't promote idolatry. Right? I do believe that, but I want to be very clear: when God dealt with me, He dealt with me in a very drastic way.

He told me that I could only listen to Christian music, and I did that for about a year. I knew that the reason God did that was because He needed to purge me. He needed to purge me for that year. He needed to get me in a space where there was no loophole for the enemy to infiltrate my thoughts.

The reason I hadn’t been able to live a godly, set-apart life the first four or five times I gave my life to Christ was because I wasn’t careful about what I was listening to. I was listening to things that were not drawing me closer to God. Instead of listening to the Word, instead of filling myself with the things of God, I was spending my time, my energy, and my resources on things that did not align with God’s Word.

So, God had to train me in that way. It was a price I had to pay because I really loved my music. I am such a music lover. I am a creative at heart, and so I love my music. But I needed to learn that even in my song selection, I needed to glorify God. I needed my mind to be so renewed that it took a drastic measure—like only listening to Christian music. Right now, that's pretty much all I listen to, but back then, when I was 17 or 18, it was a drastic change.

I remember when I was on campus, and God would have me fast every Wednesday, fast for the ministry, and fast for myself as a leader. He would have me do three-day dry fasts. I literally—oh, this is so beside the point—ended up getting my appendix removed because it was about to rupture. I had appendicitis, and I had to go to the hospital for surgery on campus. It was that bad because, once again, I had a lot of zeal but very little knowledge. God was helping me, but I was learning the hard way. I had to pay the price.

Ministry is not cheap. It's going to cost you. And if you're having a hard time paying the price—if you're struggling to let go of the things that used to hold you back, things that are not aligned with the calling of God on your life—if you're having trouble saying no to certain friendships or no to things like TV shows or music that God is calling you away from, I want to encourage you. What is on the other side of your obedience is so much better than anything you think you're letting go of.

What is on the other side of your obedience is so much greater, so much more fulfilling. Ministry will cost you, but it's worth it. Ministry will cost you, but it's worth the investment. It will make you a better version of yourself. It will make you the kind of person who can carry the prophetic word on your life.

I want you to know this: this thing is not cheap. If anyone tells you it's easy or always exciting, they’re not telling you the full truth. But when people tell you it has made them reevaluate their family life, go back and forgive people, change the way they speak, dress, and behave—they’re telling the truth. Because they understand that when God calls you, He calls you as you are today, but He doesn’t call you to stay there. He calls you so He can transform you into the person He needs you to be in order to carry out the apostolic assignment, the mission, and the vision He has for your life.

God is calling you so that you can be the version of yourself that He always knew you could be. I want you to understand: any version of yourself outside of Christ is not the real you. That is a counterfeit version. Any version of yourself outside of God’s will, outside of His calling on your life, is not the real you. I know that's the person you're used to, and I know that's the person you've gotten comfortable with, but the real you is waiting on the other side of your obedience. The real you is waiting on the other side of your sacrifice.

I found myself praying for people when I just wanted to sleep. I found myself driving to check on people, even though I wasn’t feeling it that day. I found myself waking up in the middle of the night to intercede for others. And I know that might seem like “oh, that’s just your job,” but you must understand: the work of a minister is not always comfortable.

Yes, it's done with joy, but it can also be done in moments of frustration. It's a sacrifice, but it is a sacrifice worth making. 
It can be done in times when we are like, “God, you know, I’m praying for people. Their prayers are getting answered, but mine are not.” Like, this thing is real. It’ll cost you. And I want you to know that everything it costs you, God is giving back to you.

Okay? I need you to imagine going to a store, and they say, “Yeah, your bill is $1,000,” and God literally gives you the $1,000 and says, “Here, go ahead and pay.”

I need you to understand that the cost is not something you have to pay on your own. You don’t have to manufacture the ability, the capacity, or the strength. You serve a God with all power in His hands, and He says, “I am giving it to you. I am giving you everything you need in order to pay the price.”

But you cannot be afraid of the cost. You cannot be afraid of what God is requiring of you. God is giving you the grace to say no to the TV show because He’s calling you to a place where the things that fill your mind are not things of this world.

He’s calling you to say, “Okay, maybe I need to let go of certain outfits, certain pieces of clothing, because this no longer looks like the person God is molding me to be.” He’s giving you the grace to say no to those things. He’s not just saying, “Oh, you should do it in your own strength.” He’s saying, “I’m giving you all the power and the desire to do what pleases Me.”

So I want to encourage you: you are not alone. The army, the host of people who are also walking in the assignment and calling of God on their lives—we are together. We are saying no together. We are sacrificing together. We are paying the cost together because we all have the same Founder. We all have the same Source. We all have the same Provider.

I want you to feel confident in the fact that no matter what God asks you to do, no matter what He asks you to stop doing, no matter the cost He asks you to pay, there is so much provision for you. And on the other side of your obedience is the glory.

My God, on the other side of your obedience, you’ll begin to see why it was so worth it to pay the cost, to pay the price, and to say yes to God.

Alright, guys, that’s it for today. Dang, Minister—salvation is free, but ministry will cost you. It will, it will. But don’t worry. You are called, and you are equipped. God has already paid the price. See ya next time.

Bye.