It’s summer, you stop by the church office when the pastor is on vacation.

A senior member of the congregation remarks that Pastor Jim works so hard and that it’s good for him to go on vacation.

He does work hard, but the administrative assistant notices that although you said nothing, you had less than sincerely gracious body language.

Margaret leaves. The admin tells you that your role as the youth pastor for the church is priceless. You agree with her, again saying nothing; but you want to say, “Yeah, but they don’t pay me much.”

At $10 per hour, the church board does not pay you much. You don’t get paid vacation. The Margarets of the congregation like you but don’t respect you for your ministry. You feel discouraged because you struggle to pay bills; so much of our time is spent ministering to youth that you couldn’t hold a second job even if one were offered.

You don’t pursue this conversation with the admin. This is now out of her purview. You appreciate that she noticed how you really felt and articulated your kingdom usefulness in the church. You don’t feel better, though; you’re trying as hard as you can, but when you allow yourself to think about compensation, you feel insulted and frustrated.

The apostle Paul spoke as a pastor to fellow pastors. Paul understood what it meant to be underappreciated and undercompensated. Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians is a more personal letter.

Second Corinthians 6:1: “As God’s fellow workers, we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For He says, ‘In the time of My favor, I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.’ I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation. We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path so that our ministry will not be discredited. Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.”

You get Paul’s drift here. Now, for us who labor without the corresponding pay, look carefully at the last phrase of verse 10: “having nothing, and yet possessing everything.” That sounds right in this Pauline context, but what does that mean to the underpaid, overworked youth pastor?

Paul used a subtle difference in Greek language. Paul said that we have nothing, but possess everything—a good translation from the Greek. The word Paul uses, possessing, means “not just having, but holding firm, as a part of who we are.”

We have Facebook friends; we have families. We have jobs, careers. We have gym memberships and our health. We have business cards and a signature. We have skills and a calling. We have a positive attitude—and Jesus.

Jonathon is the slight-built, young, new, quiet guy. He rides the bench for his school’s soccer team. Jonathon’s parents are too busy to attend his games. Jonathan mentions that his next game is Friday afternoon. You have a youth group lesson to prepare. You hate soccer. You go to the game.

Jonathon gets in the game. He gets a chance at making a goal, but the ball gets stolen from him. Game over.

Jonathon is walking off the field, walking with a stride not unlike the Jonathon you experience at youth group. From the stands, you yell to Jonathon. He looks up, sees you, smiles and trots off with his teammates toward the locker room. One of Jonathon’s teammates comes up to him, and you know he’s asking about that old guy in the stands who came for Jonathon.

In this kingdom moment, it doesn’t matter what the church board pays you. It doesn’t matter what the Margarets of church think of your ministry. It doesn’t matter that you know or care nothing about soccer. What matters is that you were there, and you are called to be a pastor to Jonathon.

God showed up. You possess everything.