Most saints will
never have a large national or worldwide ministry. Our callings, though unique in content, are
very similar in scope. First and foremost we are called into Christlikeness,
the progressive life-long heart surgery of God’s Spirit whereby we put off our
Self-nature, and put on the nature of Christ. This process involves, by
necessity, the death of Self on the cross of Christ and submission to the
Lordship of Christ. As we grow in grace in the knowledge and understanding of our
Lord we are changed in degrees of glory, becoming more like Him and less like
Self, who is the usurper of God’s rightful throne.
God places in each of
us unique mixtures of natural talents and spiritual giftings – suited to our
uniqueness as individuals -- to enable us to help those we meet along our
journey home to God. In a real sense our life is our ministry, as we feel the
tug of God’s heart and respond to the physical, financial, emotional, and
spiritual needs of others. We become what we behold, extending grace and mercy
to others as God has extended them to us, loving the unlovable with the agape
love we have beheld in our Lord. Our faith will be stretched by the sacrifices
of our heart, and our faith will be tested again and again to come forth
approved as pure gold. Love, Obedience, Passion, and Sacrifice become the
foundation stones of our ministry... our life, bringing a twinkle to our loving
Daddy’s eyes.
It won’t be easy to
transform sin stained cripples into beacons of light in a dark and dying world,
nothing of real value ever is easy. All God needs and wants is our willingness...
or our willingness to be made willing, and He will do the rest. Our job... our ministry, is to become the best
Bondservant... Love-slave, on the planet, totally dependent on our Savior,
marching to the rhythms of His heart. Most saints will never have a large national or worldwide
ministry. And considering the way many mega-ministries are bowing to the altar
of culture, this is a good thing. The Body of Christ is not, after all, a
church building, denomination, movement, or mega-ministry, but rather all the “called
out ones ... members individually” who have washed their robes of flesh in the
sacred blood of Jesus. It is these individual members who received the Great Commission
to “go and make disciples.”
My heart’s desire is
to be what God has called me to be, and do what God has called me to do, with passion
and joy, above all wearing the cloak of love that others might see Christ in me.
I pray this is your desire likewise. And if you don’t know what your ministry
is... well, you are just not listening. The ministry road begins with a heart
willing to change...
“PREDESTINED TO BE
CONFORMED
TO THE IMAGE OF HIS SON”
TO THE IMAGE OF HIS SON”
“FOR
THE WORK OF MINISTRY”
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