The Key to Effective Ministry

Before I start, I'm not much of a minister myself, I'm on the worship team at church, but what I'm about to write definitely affects anyone involved in any ministry of any scale.
I don't claim this to be the ultimate how-to or for this to work the same way for everyone, but the Bible definitely makes it clear that this is important to any Christian who wants to spread the gospel.
I hope this blesses you.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3
1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Now, in a lot of cases, people think of the love Paul is talking about is love for others. Maybe that's the word he used in the Greek or the Hebrew, I don't claim to know. But to me, this is true about love for others, yes, but more importantly, love for God.
I think it is way too possible to know your stuff and not have a basis of love for God. In fact, this is where I was for a while. I thought that the key to a relationship with God was to fill my head with all kinds of knowledge of the Bible, about prophecy and end times and spiritual gifts...but that's not how to love God. In fact, just like Paul says, that is all useless when you don't have love. I can say that from experience.

Remember that all we do in ministry is out of our love for the Lord. And if we're not doing what we do because of love, then it's useless and ineffective, and I guarantee that you'll get no satisfaction out of it.
I pray that if you're reading this, God will strengthen your love for Him, and establish a foundation of love for you as you grow in maturity.

In Him,
Jeff
Micah 6:8, 7:18