How Samuel Succeeded In The Ministry Home

Samuel grew up in the ministry. 

From his early years until the Lord made him a judge, he spent his life in the house of God serving in the ministry. He would be labeled in today's churches as the ministry kid or perhaps a pastor's kid. 

And from Samuel's story, we find out that he made it for God. He kept serving into adulthood and was a great man of God. He was a success in the Christian life.

Growing up in the ministry was no easy thing for Samuel, as he saw Hophni and Phineas do grossly immoral things. He was separate from his parents for most of the time and was trained by Eli, who, judging by his sons, was not an ideal parent. Despite all this, however, Samuel overcame the hard parts of being raised in the ministry and stands testimony today that ministry kids can make it for God.

In today's devotion, I would like to examine four ingredients in Samuel's success story and how he made it for God.

1. Samuel ministered to God first.

1 Samuel 2:11—"And the child did minister unto the LORD before Eli the priest.”

1 Samuel 2:18—"But Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, girded with a linen ephod.”

1 Samuel 3:1—"And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. 

That word "minister," which we find three times, means to serve or work, and from the verses above, we find Samuel ministering in the temple.

If you're a ministry kid reading this, you know that ministering in church will be a common thing in your life. Whether it be cleaning a bathroom, adjusting a hymnal, or stacking chairs, ministering is expected of you. 

When we look at the verses, I don't believe Samuel made it for God because he ministered; most ministry kids do that. I think rather we should zoom into who he was ministering for.

Samuel ministered always unto God.

Who we work, serve, or minister for is an important thing.

If I am serving for people, then when people fail me, I will stop serving. If I am serving for praise, then when nobody notices, I will probably become discouraged and quit. If I am serving simply because my parents expect me to, then when I am old enough, I will walk away and stop serving.

But Samuel was different. Samuel ministered unto the LORD.

As a fellow ministry kid, that is so important for me to remember because if I'm not careful, I will serve, but not for the right person. A servant in church can make it when they remember that their service is for an almighty God. 

Who and why are you serving?

Colossians 3:23 “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;”

2. Samuel found the right friends.

In the ministry home, it can sometimes be hard to find Godly friends that will uplift you. When we think about Samuel, he grew up in the temple with the only young people being the wicked Hophni and Phineas. If we are not careful, wanting good friends can become such a big desire that it makes us upset and even bitter. In those times, we can look to Samuel, who found two special relationships that helped him go on for Christ. 

A. God

1 Samuel 3:21 “And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.”

Building a friendship with God is so important. Christ can become your greatest friend.

B. His family

1 Samuel 2:19 “Moreover his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.”

Another place we must build friendships is right in our own home. These relationships may be harder to build since they are our siblings, but I have found that they are the most needed friends in the valleys of my life.

3. Samuel handled hurt right

1 Samuel 2:17–18—"Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD: for men abhorred the offering of the LORD...

Hophni and Phineas were insanely wicked. They would be the rebels in today's youth group who don't care about the things of God. 

They chose sinful pleasures over doing right, yet how Samuel handled that situation is a key to his success. We will experience hurt in the ministry when others who we have loved and befriended turn away from the things of God to live for the world. I'm sure Samuel dealt with some hurt when the only young people with him were constantly living in wickedness.

1 Samuel 2:26 

“And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the LORD, and also with men.”

In the midst of his hurt, Samuel just grew on spiritually.

When you see others in the youth group that stop caring about the things of God, just grow on for Christ.

When young people quit on God and leave church, grow on.

When someone in church drops their standards of holy living for worldliness, you must keep growing on.

When a friend you loved dearly quit living the Christian life, you must grow on!

When the hard times of ministry set in and those we invested in and befriended turn away, we must keep that simple truth Samuel learned in mind.

He grew on.

4. Samuel knew his life was not his own.

1 Samuel 1:27–28 “For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him: Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD. And he worshipped the LORD there.”

Perhaps one of the most important truths we can remember in the ministry is that our life is not our own.

Our life is God's!

We only get a short time to live for Jesus, and we must not waste it living for anything this world has to offer.

Samuel's mother said, “as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD.” That meant Samuel's entire life belonged to God. Not just his childhood. Not just the years he lived at the house of God. Not just the convenient parts of his life. “As long as he liveth.”

As ministry kids, sometimes we can begin to look at ministry as something that has been forced upon us. We may think about all the things other young people get to do that we cannot do. We can begin to think, “When I'm older, I'll finally get to live my own life.”

But the truth is, none of us have our own life. Our lives belong to God.

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 “…ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.”

Samuel wasn't successful because growing up in the ministry was easy. It wasn't.

He saw people fail. He experienced loneliness. He watched young people choose wickedness. He lived around imperfect people.

Yet Samuel made it for God.

He ministered unto the LORD.
He found the right friends.
He grew on through the hurt.
He remembered that his life belonged to God.