In his message at Together for the Gospel 2008, C.J. Mahaney stated that every pastor should not only read, but memorize chapter 10 (Want of Faith) from Charles Bridges' book, The Christian Ministry. Here are the passages from that chapter that C.J. quoted:
All our failures may be ultimately traced to a defect of faith....The life of faith, therefore, is the life of the Minister's work, and the spring of his success....The main difficulty, therefore, is not in our work, but in ourselves; in the conflict with our own unbelief....Difficulties heaped upon difficulties can never rise to the level of the promise of God.
It is faith that enlivens our work with perpetual cheerfulness. It commits every part of it to God, in the hope, that even mistakes shall be overruled for his glory ; and thus relieves us from an oppressive anxiety, often attendant upon a deep sense of our responsibility. The shortest way to peace will be found in casting ourselves upon God for daily pardon of deficiencies and supplies of grace, without looking too eagerly for present fruit.
Hence our course of effort is unvarying, but more tranquil. It is peace — not slumber, rest in the work — not from it. Unbelief looks at the difficulty. Faith regards the promise. Unbelief therefore makes our work a service of bondage. Faith realizes it as a " labour of love." Unbelief drags on in sullen despondency. Faith makes the patience, with which it is content to wait for success, " the patience of hope." As every difficulty is the fruit of unbelief; so will they all ultimately be overcome by the perseverance of faith.
Read the book online (or download the PDF) at Google Books.
C.J. ended his message with another quote - from Charles Spurgeon:
“Moreover, labor is easy to those of a cheerful spirit; success waits on cheerfulness. The ones who work while rejoicing in God and believing with all their hearts have success guaranteed.”
