“Your personal growth is the growth of your work”

Growth is the fact of life, the purpose of our existence. We live to grow and grow to live. Nowhere is this more true than in the life of the minister. No minister has grown enough. Ministerial and ministry growth are like siemens twins, there can be no one without the other. Attempt to separate the two will always lead to death. In the effort to bring growth, increase and expansion to the church, we have lay so much emphasis on methods, machinery and money. We have tried to reduce the place and importance of the man. Yet we need to understand that God is more infinitely concerned with the man than anything else. Much of the blame for lack of growth in the church are laid squarely at the foot of members. The pastors are usually committed. True, in some situations, the people are responsible, but in most cases the problem rests with pastors more. In reality, 60% of the growth problems in the church starts with the pastor.

It is an unwritten law that the church will become what the minister is. Our ministry have viewed with alarm the myriad of problems brought upon the church by the lack of growth of the pastor's. We have been alarmed at the high rate of ministerial casualty, disgrace and dishonour brought upon the church. And we know that if the personal growth of minister is taken seriously, most of these disgracing episodes will be greatly minimized.

Personal growth is the primary growth. It is the greatest price of leadership. The leadership that refuses to pay the price of personal growth will soon forfeit his or her leadership. This price of leadership in the church cannot be paid in a lump sum or once forever. No! It must be paid instalmentally and gradually. It is quite revealing that many pastors are unaware of this fact. They behave, live, talk and minister as if they don't need to grow anymore. The day your personal growth stops that day your leadership stops. This price is too much for many leader to pay, the more reason they are losing their leadership. Personal growth or lack of it will show in every area of your life. Your leadership home, relationships, ministry and future will be helped or hindered by your personal growth.

Defining Personal Growth
Personal growth could be described from various angles. It means growing in relationship with the Lord; more maturity of heart and life; attaining great heights spiritually (Phi. 3:10-14); moving from grave to grass, from grass to grace, from grace to glory, and from glory to glory. It means building your character, greater integrity and godliness. Adding more to your faith as apostle Peter says (II Pet. 1:5-10). It also comes in form of attitudinal changes, having a broad shoulder and a large heart to accommodate people and various kinds of views. It could also comes in the area of overcoming a particular weakness and breaking of bad habits in your life. It shows in positive changes and more patience and maturity in handling issues of life. Personal growth covers five major areas:

* Spiritual maturity - your spiritual stature determines much
* Emotional maturity - self - control, self-mastering
* Mental maturity - information, learning, wisdom and knowledge.
* Social maturity - Relating effectively with people
* Communication maturity - Ability to motivate and draw out the best in people.

Technologies, systems, ideas may change, ‘hot leadership' secrets and big breaks may come, but the place of personal growth never changes. I sincerely consider the pastoral ministry as the ‘toughest job' in the whole world. Pastors are operating under intense pressures. The demands are sometimes too high and many pastors are quitting the ministry due to moral failure, frustration and lack of resources. Nowhere is personal growth more paramount than in the pastoral ministry. The pastor deals with various types of people. Sometimes people who are more educated, more exposed, much older, quite younger and more richer than him are under his pastorate. He definitely need divine wisdom to minister effectively and lead them, week in, week out. Effective and lasting leadership demands constant availability to growth and transformation in these above mentioned five areas,. Your growth determines who you are. Who you are determines who you attract and who you attract determines the success of your ministry.

POWER OF PERSONAL GROWTH
Growth does not start outside of you but begins inside of your. The growth of your church is determined by your inner growth. Your inner growth will go a long way to determine your outward growth. You must be bigger within before you can be bigger without. If you don't be, you cannot do. This is what Jesus made Nicodemus to understand. He came to Jesus seeing only what He is doing. But Jesus made him to see that being is more important than doing. Until we are what we should be, we cannot do what we should do. (Jn. 3:1-3). It goes without saying then, that the speed of the leader is the speed of the organization. Grow the pastor, grow the church, grow the leader, grow the organization. The ability to lead rises and falls with the personal growth of the leader. When your growth stops, your ability to lead stops with it.

The leader that hopes to lead his church to great heights must always start with his own personal development. God is much interested with the personal growth of the minister. He uses various means to accomplish this. In the truest sense of the word, many of the problems, oppositions, trials, persecutions, misrepresentations and crisis in our lives were designed by God to aid our personal growth and prepare us for better leadership. If God loves you dearly, He will hurt you deeply. The fact that God is using you doesn't mean you should stop growing. The devil have used these activities to deceive many that they don't need to grow anymore. They fail to take notice of the slips, sins, faults, weaknesses in their lives because they are being mightily used by Him. Sadly, many have found out too late that personal growth must never stop despite His usage. Personal growth is the:

* Key to ministry growth - your ministry will never rise higher than your growth.
* Key to growing others - You cannot demand from others what you don't demand from yourself.
* Key to finishing well - To finish strong and not die along the way demand for constant growth.
* Key to outstanding leadership - Your leadership level or ability is greatly determined by your growth.
* Key to higher calling - to move to higher degree of ministry success will be helped or hindered by your personal growth.
* Key to handling success successfully - Many have been ruined by their seeming success because of lack of personal growth.
* Key to overcoming the storms of life - Personal growth will enable you to sail through the storms of life that will inevitably come across your way.

TEN DON'TS OF PERSONAL GROWTH
Do not surrender means don't give up, stop, quit or neglect. Therefore these are things you must never surrender your personal growth to.
1. Don't surrender your personal growth is Circumstances
Your circumstances and condition may be pathetic, no helper or supporter. There may be practically no way or means of embarking on the journey of personal development. Yet you must not give up. Remember, your condition does not matter but your conclusion. Remember Gideon. The conditions were terrible but he found a way to grow.

2. Don't surrender your personal growth to Success
Success have destroyed much more people than failure. If you allow your success so far to handle you, it will ruin you. Rather, grow to the level whereby you can handle your success very successfully. Remember Judas. His little success get into his head and it ruined him. Don't let past success hinder your better future. There is no future in the past and there is no past in the future.

3. Don't surrender your personal growth to Anointing
Today, the popular jagon is anointing. Many are seeking for the anointing who have not got a good character foundation. Without godly character, the anointing alone ruins. Many who rely on the anointing without strong character have got themselves to blame like Samson. The perennial problems of gold, glory and girls call for serious personal growth.

4. Don't surrender your personal growth to Achievement
Your personal and ministry achievement will collapse in the absence of personal growth. David achieved much, but his lack of personal growth in his emotions almost ruined his good achievement. Many who rely only on their achievement without corresponding personal development almost always regret later.

5. Don't surrender your personal growth to Methodology
All the methods in the whole world will fail in the absence of personal growth. You cannot do what you should do, until you are what you should be. Methods, systems, and tactics will change but personal growth remains constant.

6. Don't surrender your personal growth to Personality
Many rely on their natural strong personality to lead people and the church of God. Many rely on their natural abilities. Yet, your natural strong personality will not suffice without personal growth. You must grow and be tender in His hand so that He can change you to who He wants you to be. If He leaves you to yourself, you will ruin and destroy yourself and the work.

7. Don't surrender your personal growth to Commendation
The fact that people are praising and commending your should never make you to abandon personal growth. Noah was praised by God for his godliness. When others were sinning. He allowed the commendation to get his head. When people were sinning. Noah did not sin. When people stop sinning Noah started to sin (Gen. 6:8; 9:20-21). You must grow to the level whereby you are able to handle admirably.

8. Don't surrender your personal growth to Position and Title
Positions and titles are loved by many. In actual fact, many are offended when you fail to mention and address them by all the positions and titles they have acquired. Realistically, positions and titles are added burdens and responsibilities. Quite unfortunately, many are measuring their spiritual stature by their positions and titles. They have blindfolded many from growing personally. Today the craze is for the title of a Bishop and Apostles, formerly it was Reverend Doctor. As much as I have nothing against any prefix or title, my contention is that you must justify such title by the fruit of your labour and don't allow it to hinder your personal growth.

9. Don't surrender your personal growth to Age and Experience
Growth is not a programme, it is a process. Personal growth is a never ending journey. Age and experience cannot replace the role of personal growth. Many are banking on their experience and age to se them through in the ministry. No! There are situations that will make a mincemeat of whatever is your age or experience. There are situations that experience and age cannot handle. It is your personal growth that will see you through, couple with the grace of God. Many times experience is yesterdays solution to todays problems.

10. Don't surrender your personal growth to Gifts / Talents / Prophecy
Many who are wonderfully gifted, talented and have the prophecy of God concerning a great future awaiting them, but lacks personal growth, discipline and godly character have been ruined by these talents and gifts. Talents, gifts and prophecies alone cannot guarantee lasting success in the ministry. Personal growth will provide the foundation and durability that will sustain you when all else fails.

Things that serve as obstacles and hindrances to personal growth are these:
* Ignorance - you don't know your need of it.
* Laziness - you pamper and self-indulge yourself
* Self-contentment - you compare yourself with others
* Anti-change and anti-growth - you believe you are okay, don't need to change anywhere anymore.
* Lack of clear vision - Nothing to propel you towards growth
* Moving with the wrong people - your friends determine your future.
* Playing today to pay tomorrow - unwillingness to pay the price for self-development.

FACTORS FOR PERSONAL GROWTH
Personal growth will not happen in a vacuum. There are factor that facilitate it. It is not enough to talk and write about personal growth, we must examine and practise the factors that will enhance it in our lives.
a. Discover and pursue your life's purpose:- Jn. 17:4.
Personal growth is not possible if you don't search out God's purpose for your life and pursue it vigorously. God has a purpose for everything He is connected with, including you. Search it out by prayer, fasting, studying yourself and god's dealing with you and be irrevocably committed to its realization. The pursuit of personal growth will only be meaningful and rewarding when you discover God's purpose for your life.

b. Build a regular and consistent prayer life:- (Lk. 1:35)
You cannot rise higher than your prayer life will allow. The major difference between men starts from their prayer life. Your perpetual growth is hinged on your prayer life. Fight for your prayer life. Nothing will atone for lack of it. The flesh, Satan, activities, visitors, work and tiredness will all rise up to hinder your life of prayer. But overcome them you must. Even if you don't feel like praying, pray, pray and pray. Build it up gradually and develop consistency over a period of time. Ministry to the Lord must ever come before ministry to the people. Pastors who are serious about their personal and ministry growth must find time for private prayer.

c. Work at improving yourself everyday:- (I Cor. 9:27).
Don't ever be satisfied with your present level. Take one area of your life and work at improving there. Don't be in the habit of excusing evil in yourself. Your habit might determine your habitat. Master yourself and be in control of your thoughts, emotions, tongue and reactions. Be a sentinel over your live. The best watchman in the whole world is the man that watches himself.

d. Read, study, read and dread:- (I Tim. 4:13; II Tim. 4:13).
Everything you will need to know concerning your calling have been put down in a book by someone. Especially in the age we live in, there is no excuse for ignorance and failure. A minister is known by the books he reads. Read wide, read deep and study again and again for personal edification and ministration. A learner today is a leader tomorrow. If you stop learning, you stop leading. Read to edity, motivate, inspire and to gather informations hat will help you to be a very resourceful minister. The sheeps will only come to graze in a very green pasture. Your cannot give out what you don't have. Gather knowledge and be informed by attending seminars, conferences and schools of ministry. Conferences and seminars are to ministers what Dr. Jethro is to Moses. They give you new insight, revelation and a new beginning an d dimension in ministry. Be current and informed about your area of ministry. In this age of computer, e-mail and internets, you dare not be left behind.

e. Have a pastor to pastor you:
Your personal growth cannot take a full seeing until you have a pastor to pastor you. You must willingly surrender to someone who can monitor, motivate, challenge, mentor, correct, rebuke and chastise you in the ministry. Someone you respect and who respects and value you. He will serve as covering to you who can give his personal time to raise you to higher level of growth, anointing and success in the ministry. I am aware of pastors who chose somebody they don't easily see or have personal time with as their mentor. Such pastors simply chose because of his popularity or achievement in the ministry. This is rather unwholesome. Your mentor is someone who can take time to see you, visit you and pay close attention to your life, home and ministry.

f. Seek for your prayer partners:- Eph. 6:18.
This is the icing on the cake. Personal prayer partners will through their prayer support bring he growth, maturity, stability and progress you otherwise cannot achieve alone into your life and ministry. Many pastors in Nigeria are ignorant of the untold benefits of having personal prayer partners or intercessors and those who know are unwilling to share the information with others, yet it is very crucial to this issue to personal growth.

Whoever you are in the ministry, you need prayer partners. Your prayers can never be enough, you will always need the prayer support of others. You are like Joshua in the battle field, you need the prayer support of Moses, Aaron and Hur to gain continuous victory. The prayer partners can do it part-time or fulltime. They are those who believe strongly in your vision and are willing to support you prayerfully. It usually start with you asking the Lord for such people and God will send someone to you who will do such wonderful ministry. Peter Wagner states that “the most under utilized power in the church is intercession for pastors”. Unlimited personal and church growth is possible when people are raying and “lifting up the hands of the prophet”.

GOALS OF PERSONAL GROWTH
* To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind
* To take health, happiness and prosperity to everyone you meet
* To be truly free form every vestige of self life.
* To be well prepared for the higher calling of God in Christ Jesus.
* To make all your friends feel that there is something good in them.
* To look at the sunny side of everything and be positive always.
* To think only of the best, work only for the best and expect only the best
* To be obedient, teachable and do things that please him always.
* To put the best construction on the actions of others
* To always give and give, not expecting much in return.
* To be truly and sincerely happy and enthusiastic about the success of others without any tingle of envy.
* To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievement of the future.
* To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every person you meet a smile.
* To give so much time to the improvement of yourself you have no time to criticise others.
* To be too large to worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear and too happy to permit the presence of evil.
* To live so well that those who come across you will never remain the same.
* To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud words, but in good deeds.

These are wonderful and powerful goals that everyone of us involved in the ministry must strive for everyday. I must confess that they are what I am striving for and they are my lifelong objective. They have helped me in no small measure to move forward. I have not got to where I want, but I am happy to report that i have left where I was before! Strive for them, they are worthwhile and worthy of your effort. When you grow in them, your church and ministry will grow.