This week my longtime friend Toby Kurth, who is planting a new Sovereign Grace Ministries Church in San Francisco, and I were discussing the realities of church life and ministry. We were specifically talking about the meaning and application of Proverbs 14:4, "Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox" in conjunction with Luke 10:1-12.

In Proverbs 14:4, God gives us an amazingly helpful analogy. Basically put, if our lives and ministry are free of trouble, grief, or hardship then we may not be in the field plowing and reaping the harvest - as Luke 10 states. Sometimes, we desire that we live and serve hassle free. We try to expel or avoid situations/people that maybe cause issues or consternation. However, in doing so, we have in effect sold off  the oxen. When that occurs our harvest will not be abundant.

Having oxen dirty our stalls because they brought in the crop, beats a clean stall without any crops to show for it.

In our serving and worship of God in the local church we should expect, if we are truly work,  - hardship, issues, conflicts. These are ok it shows the use of the manger by the oxen.

Remember it is not the existence of dirt in our manger but how we deal with it. Do we stress and fear what others will think? Or, do we trust God that the crops will be harvested despite the dirt the oxen bring in?

Another question. Are you an ox?