Something that has been heavy on my heart this past week is thinking about my future and what will life back at home look like when I return. How will I go back to working in the secular world or what would life in ministry look like? How will God provide for me financially if I choose to serve and what will my motivation be for working? After just a few short weeks I think it would be incredibly difficult to step away from life in ministry as it has brought so much joy thus far. But what does ministry look like and how can we be a witness to God’s glory despite our circumstances or surroundings? Jesus didn’t flip a switch when it was ministry time, he lived it day in and day out. So, how do I go about doing the same? God highlighted a few things to me about how we can conduct everyday ministry wherever the Spirit takes us and I wanted to share them all with you.
1 – Our Testimony is our Witness
At training camp I heard something along the lines of “a man with facts has no argument against a man sharing his personal experience”. This statement is so true, one of the best ways we can witness to others is by sharing our personal experience and walk with Jesus Christ ant the redemptive work He has done in our life. Although it can be difficult and painful this is why it is so important for us to face the challenging aspects of our lives from before Christ. Wether it be traumatic events, addictions, poor choices or sins we committed when we dive into these things with Jesus as the lamp guiding us we get to experience His healing and in doing so we take something that was meant for evil and turn it into good. I promise that whatever you have gone through in life or experienced someone is going through something similar and we can make good of that bad situation by allowing God to heal us and as a result allow God to use us to help heal others. John 15:8 Says “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” When we allow God to transform our lives it brings God glory because we produce fruit and thus are an example to those who have yet to experience God’s healing grace. This is also shown in 1 Timothy 1:15-16. Paul says that the Lord saved him from his sins as proof to the world that He is patient and kind and able to save anyone. Paul’s live of sin and persecuting the church was miraculously turned into something God could use to glorify Him by proving that He wants to save anyone and everyone. Let God heal your wounds so that you may bear fruit and live a life that is a walking testimony of God’s transformative power. As Matthew 15:16 says “let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” When we are changed by God’s grace we are a light to the world of His incredible mercy and grace and we get to go about sharing this light with others.
2 – Love One Another
This one may seem like it is the most obvious but it is often the one that as believers we mess up the most. Simply put, love one another and do it well all of the time. 1 Peter 4: 8-9 says says “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.” So often we get caught up in work, family or busyness of life in general and pass up opportunities to love on some of the people who need it most. It can be something as small as a smile and hello to a stranger or inviting someone over for dinner who you know is lonely. We often think that unless we make a grand gesture or have a well thought out plan that our ministry will not thrive or be well received but that simply is not true. The second part of this verse is equally as important as the first. What is our heart posture when we are serving and loving others? Are we doing something kind for someone begrudgingly in hopes that God will miraculously save them or are we simply doing something for them simply out of the kindness of our hearts? John 13:35 tells us “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” It is our love for others that will be a witness to Christ in us not our preparation, works or perfect delivery of the gospel. All it takes is love, are we truly loving everyone as best as we can with pure motives? This is something we will often get wrong but is also a great goal to strive for as we grow in our relationship with Jesus. This brings me to my next point:
3 – Trust the Spirit to do the Work
I love Proverbs 3:5-8 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.” Something that we must always remember is that no matter how badly we want others to know God, He wants them to know Him more. As much as we want our loved ones to experience His love and presence, He wants this for them even more than we do. We need to trust that this is true and believe that when our hearts and motivations are pure God will make good of whatever love we do share with others. We don’t have to love or serve perfectly we simply have to desire to glorify Him and trust that He will make good of our works. The last part of this verse is my favorite, it will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. As soon as we trust God with others salvation and not our works the burden is lifted from our shoulders and we find rest in His perfect works already completed. Surely the Spirit is better at evangelism than I am. So far I think He has been responsible for saving everyone and we as humans are at about 0. That is a pretty good record if you ask me, be His vessel but trust that He will do the work. Remember what the Lord tells us in Isaiah 55:8-9, He has plans and they are far greater than our own. Just because we do not always see the change we are hoping will take place does not mean He is not working to create that change privately in the persons life. Only He knows when someone will decide to give their life to Him, all we have to do is continue to show them Christ like love until they choose to do so. Finally, what do we do when we are frustrated or feeling like our work is falling on deaf ears? It is hard to give up on someone we love and I don’t think that we are called to do so but sometimes our efforts seem to fall on deaf ears. So what do we do when we are at our wits end and seem to be out of ideas?
4 – Display the Fruits of the Spirit and Pray Constantly
When we are frustrated and we seem stuck in trying to help someone we love encounter Christ we must remember what He has called us to do above all other things. He asks us first and foremost to love others. It is easy to love others and be kind and gentle when our message is well received but how do we react after years and years, conversation after conversation of rejection and denial? Galatians 5:22-24 serves as a wonderful reminder of how we are to act. Remember the fruits of the Spirit and that the change God made in our life us our best testimony. Show the person that the Spirit living in us has created love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Let them see the change in you even when it is hardest to display these traits and we are at our wits end. Remember verse 24 as well, have we crucified the desires of our flesh? I know when I find myself in this situation I am often flabbergasted that the person I am talking with does not want to accept Jesus and and experience His love. But what is my motivation, do I want to add another salvation notch to my belt or do I truly want my friend to experience the life changing redemption that is Christ? If I really want them to see Christ in me and possibly accept Him for themselves then I need to check my own emotions at the door and put on the fruits of the Spirit instead. In addition to all of this we must remember Colossians 1:9-11 “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” We must pray without ceasing for our loved ones. Pray that the Holy Spirit comes to them and encounters them in a way that can not be denied. Remember that it is not our works but the works of the Spirit that will lead to the ones we love accepting Jesus. You can ask my mother, fervent prayer goes a long ways and the Lord is faithful to hear them.
I will leave you with this: God uses all of our interactions to bring glory to His name not just the actions we intentionally make in an effort to glorify Him.
