Do not quit. Do not give up. Stay the course. Press on. There are times in ministry when we all need to hear those words. There have been plenty of time in Youth Ministry where I needed to hear those words. Here are five reasons not to quit:

They matter and they need you

Your students matter and they need you to be there for them. They need to know they are loved. They need a shepherd to lead them and care for them. They may not say it…but they need you badly. Do not quit…they need you.

Few truly influential things come easy

What you do is hard. It is exhausting, draining, and often unappreciated. The battle you fight for the parents and students in your ministry will make an influence if you stay the course. Having an influence takes time and is a difficult task. What you do though…it is worth it. Do not quit…influence takes time and is difficult.

What you do matters

You are a real pastor. This is your “ministry some day.” God has called you to this. It is a task too great for you alone, but He is with you. It is likely a path you would not have chosen, but one that God has chosen for you. You are equipped by Him in every way needed to carry out this ministry. Do not quit…what you do matters.

Numbers always lie

Numbers matter because people matter, but numbers never tell the truth. There will always be a ministry with more students. The success of what you are doing is bigger than the few that showed up to your last event. What God is doing in your students and in you is not able to be measured by numbers. Do not quit…numbers always lie.

You are making a difference

You may not see it. You likely do not feel it. They may not share it. But you are making a difference. You are making a difference in the lives of your students that will last for all of eternity. You are making a difference in families that will change the legacy they will live and leave. You are carrying a weighty and powerful message in the gospel. One that has the power to break down strongholds in the lives of your students. One that has the power to save the lost. One that can bring restoration and relief. One that can heal what has been broken, and one that can make new what was old. Do not quit…you are making a difference.

What are you struggling with right now? What is it that makes you want to throw in the towel at times? I would love to be able to encourage you. Leave a comment below and share.

Photo credit: Matt McGee / Foter.com / CC BY-ND