Are You Called to Ministry?
Are you called to ministry? Maybe you know the answer, or perhaps it will surprise you. Regardless of what you’ve been taught, the answer is yes.
What is Ministry?
Ministry in the New Testament has the central theme of acts of service to others. It’s not about the stage, platform or territory you’ve been given. No, It’s about your willingness to serve others with the gifts God has given you. Through using your gifts the Lord has given you, his love and glory can be seen. Jesus also called all of us to go spread the Good News and make disciples. So- how do we start doing ministry? I think Sadie Robertson said it best,
People come to me saying they want to start doing ministry and how they should start. My answer seems simple, but you just start doing ministry.”
Sadie Robertson Huff
LOve God, Love his People
“I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I have obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that you may be filled with joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!
This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.
John 15:9-12
How do we do ministry, we follow the commandment Jesus left us with, “Love each other in the same way I have loved you. Before we move on let’s define love,
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Ministry doesn’t just begin inside of a church building, it starts with those around you. Who are the people God has put in your path for you to demonstrate love (coming from the definition above) to? I want you to think of a time you really lost patience. Is there a person that comes to mind when you think of loosing your patience? Odds are you can show God’s love by being patient with that person next time. I know you’re probably rolling your eyes at me (with a smile I hope 😅) for suggesting that, but that is certainly an opportunity to do ministry. I enjoyed Pastor T.O Banso’s comment on ministry,
Every Christian is called into ministry, but not every Christian is called to head or lead a church, or resign from his paid employment or career to do so ministry.”
Pastor T.O Banso
“Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.
Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.”
Ephesians 4:11-12
Using the gifts
I love how intentional God is. He makes each of us unique and allows us to have a part in his story. The different gifts he’s given us help tell that story, they help us spread the good news. You may know the gifts God has given you, but some of you may not. I encourage you to pray to God and have him reveal them to you, and for the opportunities to use them!
“In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership skills, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.
Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.
Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.”
Romans 12:6-10
I like the, “Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them” line from above. You can tell people you love them, but the best way for them to know is by showing them. The same goes for the spreading the Good News and the Word of God. Let’s not just tell people, let’s be the Christ followers that show them.
know why and live it out
“Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about you hope as a believer, always be ready to explain. But do so in a gentle and respectful way.”
1 Peter 3:15-16
We must know why we believe what we believe, and more than that live it out. Living it out also gives people a chance to notice you’re doing things different, stirring something up in them to ask you “why.”
Looking through the scriptures, Jesus wasn’t always stirring up conversation or being noticed from his words alone, a lot of times it was from his actions/ how he handled a situation.
“As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. SO Matthew got up and followed him.
Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners.” But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples,
“Why does your teacher eat with such scum?”
Matthew 9:9-11
Scripture says the kingdom of God is backwards from the ways of this world. When driven by the flesh, it can be easy to exclude people you don’t think are worthy enough. You can see that in the above context from the Pharisees. SO- naturally when they saw Jesus eating with tax collectors (they were looked down upon), they didn’t understand. If they were being lead by the spirit in that moment, a thought could have been, “Of course he is eating with tax collectors, because all people belong at God’s table and are worthy of his love.” But when Jesus came, he brought new ways with him.
Jesus living differently opened up the door for questions. It caught the attention of many. Can the people we interact with, tell we are different or does our way of life blend in with the rest of the world? Ministry is loving people, and Jesus has called us to love others. This love is opposite from what the world echoes. But, in short? Absolutely you are called to ministry.
with love,
Em
