Embrace Your Calling: A Life Devoted to Ministry

Ministry: A Life Devoted to Making Much of Christ and Meeting the Needs of Others

What is ministry? According to the New Testament, ministry is not just the responsibility of pastors and church leaders. It is what all Christians are called to do. While pastors have the specific role of equipping the saints for ministry, it is the ordinary Christians who actually do the ministry. Ministry is not just a title or a position; it is a lifestyle devoted to making much of Christ and meeting the needs of others.

In Ephesians 4:11-12, Paul writes, "And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ." The role of pastors and church leaders is to equip the saints for ministry, to empower and encourage them to serve and minister to others. Ministry is not confined to the walls of the church or to specific roles within the church. It is a calling for every believer, regardless of their occupation or position in life.

So, what does ministry look like in our everyday lives? It can take many forms and looks different for each person. Whether we are bankers, teachers, doctors, or stay-at-home parents, ministry means that we aim at advancing other people's faith and holiness to the glory of God. It means that we "do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith" (Galatians 6:10). Ministry is not just about preaching or teaching; it is about actively loving and serving others, meeting their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.

Fulfilling our ministry is more important than staying alive. This may sound radical and extreme, but it is a conviction that many devoted Christians throughout history have held. In Acts 20:24, Paul says, "But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus." Paul recognized that doing the ministry that God had given him was more important than his own life. He was willing to lay down his life for the sake of the gospel and the advancement of God's kingdom.

This same conviction is what makes the lives of radically devoted people so inspiring to watch. They understand that ministry is not just about personal comfort or self-preservation. It is about sacrificially serving others and making an eternal impact. They are willing to give up their own desires and ambitions in order to fulfill the ministry that God has called them to. They are willing to lose their lives in order to save them.

You may think that you need to save your life in order to do your ministry. But in reality, how you lose your life may be the capstone of your ministry. Jesus himself set the example for us. He said, "For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45). Jesus laid down his life for us, not just in his death on the cross, but in his entire life of sacrificial service. His ministry was marked by selflessness and love, and ultimately, it was through his death that he accomplished the greatest act of ministry - the redemption and salvation of humanity.

We need not fret about keeping ourselves alive in order to finish our ministry. God alone knows the appointed time of our service. He will decide when our death is not an interruption of our ministry, but the last act of our ministry. As Henry Martyn said, "If [God] has work for me to do, I cannot die." In other words, we are immortal until our work is done. Therefore, ministry is more important than life.

When we understand the true nature of ministry and the calling that God has placed on our lives, it changes our perspective. We no longer live for ourselves, but for the glory of God and the benefit of others. We become willing to lay down our lives, our desires, our comfort, in order to fulfill the ministry that God has entrusted to us. We become willing to take risks, to step out of our comfort zones, and to make sacrifices for the sake of the gospel. Ministry becomes a way of life, a daily surrender to God's will and a commitment to serve others.

So, let us embrace the calling to ministry that God has placed on our lives. Let us not be content with just attending church or fulfilling religious duties. Let us actively seek ways to make much of Christ and meet the needs of others. Let us be willing to lay down our lives, to lose ourselves in order to find our true purpose and fulfillment in Christ. Ministry is not just for pastors and church leaders; it is for every believer. May we all embrace the call to ministry and live lives devoted to making much of Christ and meeting the needs of others.