Ministries abound! We all exercise unconscious ministries in
the simple duties of life - at work, home, school or on the playground. We are
constantly preaching without a pulpit.
When people move from church to church in search of ministry
it tells me they do not understand that ministry is not locked up behind a
pulpit or that it is not the exclusive domain of apostles, prophets,
evangelists, pastors and teachers. Every member of the body of Christ has a
ministry and are sending out messages daily.
According to Paul, there are many
ministries in the body. In Romans 12, he lists a few:
If it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach;
if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give
generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it
cheerfully (Rom.12:7-8).
How many times do we think of someone giving encouragement
as a ministry? Or showing of mercy as preaching the gospel of compassion? Or
that generous giving to other is a ministry in itself? We need a mind shift in
the church. We need to see ministry beyond the pulpit. And we need to see it as
an expression of a lifestyle, not a list of premeditated do’s and don’ts but
the natural outflows from a life that abides in the True Vine.
If we are connected continually to Christ, his life will
flow through ours and people will see him and glorify God. And so let us also
live with the consciousness that we are not preaching only when we are behind a
pulpit or in a religious setting but that we are constantly sending forth
messages. And often what people see in us send them a louder message than what
they hear us say. As they say, “actions speak louder than words.”
And so it that the cup of cold water that we bring to a
thirsty soul, and the visit to a friend in hospital and to an inmate in jail,
speak loudly of the grace of our Lord Jesus and will yield its own rewards
(Mt.10: 42).
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