Spare Change June 2018
Prepared for Everyday Ministry
Everyone has been called to minister to those in their sphere of influence. Maybe for you it's your co-workers, your family, your neighborhood or all of the above; however, people often feel inadequate to minister to others. They don’t know how to serve them, how to share their faith, or even how to pray for others. This unintentionally leads us to be closed off and ineffective as believers. This is not from a lack of want-to but from a lack of preparation. Recently I finished reading 1 Kings in which David is told he will not be the one to build the temple because he was a man of war. That privilege would be passed on to his son, Solomon; but that did not discourage David, instead of sitting idling by he started making preparations for the temple. He gathered all the supplies that Solomon would need such as wood, stone, gold, and silver. He had it all ready for when Solomon started building. Solomon’s ministry to the people of Israel was easier because of the work that his father had done for him.
This reminded me that I also have a great calling in my life-- to minister to those around me. This is only made possible because of the preparations that Christ has made for me. Like David, who gathered the supplies for the temple, Christ became the cornerstone for the new temple of God. Only this temple was not built with stone, as Paul reminds us in Ephesians 2:19-22, rather it is built with God’s people joined together by the Holy Spirit. This is only possible because Christ prepared us for this work. We join in the work of building up this holy temple of saints by ministering to others, by pleading with them to believe in Christ, and by encouraging saints to persevere in the faith. Christ has laid the foundation, or rather become the foundation, all we have to do is be willing ministers.
So, with all the preparations made possible by Christ what is holding us back? Lack of knowledge, fear, what is it that holds you back from investing your life in those around you? Ultimately there is nothing really holding us back, however we do have perceived barriers that cause us to shrink back from our calling as believers. I want to share three very practical things that have helped to prepare my heart to minister to others.
Spiritual Disciplines – You were probably hoping for some amazing truth that would rock your world, however the reality is that spiritual disciplines are foundational for believers. You will NEVER grow in your faith unless you invest your life in spiritual disciplines. There are several, but the main ones are Bible intake, prayer and fasting. If we are not doing these things on a regular basis we will not grow and we will never reach out and minister to others like we need to. Spiritual disciplines help us to commune with God’s spirit in a personal way that changes and challenges us. Don’t neglect spiritual disciplines.
Listen and Read – Find spiritually encouraging things to listen to and read. Find encouraging sermons and podcasts to listen to. There are too many to mention here, but they will help fill your time gaps with things that will encourage your affections for Christ. The same is true for reading. When choosing something to read, don’t always pick up the newest book. Find something old. We have 2000 years of amazing books that will challenge you in your faith. If you don’t know where to start, find a biography of a missionary or reformer. The main thing is to fill your down time with God honoring things.
Face Your Fears – As David is passing the torch to Solomon he tells him to be brave and stand firm. This is echoed as a challenge throughout the Bible, from God to Joshua, from Paul to the Church; this is a common directive to God’s people. What scares you when it comes to God’s calling? Stand firm and do that thing which fills you with fear, by the power of God’s spirit be brave. If talking about the gospel fills you with dread, work to stand up to that fear. If serving others is uncomfortable for you, face that fear and get your hands dirty. It’s not easy and takes a lot of courage, but that is our calling as believers. Minister in your sphere of influence, do the good works that you have been called to do.