Update #140 - Definition of Ministry

"Don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and who was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourselves but to God; he bought you for a price. So use your bodies for God's glory." I Corinthians 6:19-20

Brett, Lyn and I in Cairo, Egypt

“God has taken away my ministry.” my friend commented to me one evening over dinner.

An astonished “What?” escaped my lips as I mentally reviewed all in which he was involved (working with youth, 1:1 prayer counseling, worship leading, the arts, etc.). I was stymied.

He continued; told me a story of how his platform for “ministry” had been shaken, dismantled, and ultimately disappeared.

I listened, asked clarifying questions and then invited God’s opinion as to what was happening. It boiled down to my friend’s definition of “ministry.”

His “ministry” was still intact – he was spreading God’s joy, love, peace and righteousness to others through his work life, home life and his spare-time activities. God hadn’t taken away his “ministry”; he had removed one of the platforms from which it was practiced.

So often the two are confused. The guy up front preaching, the woman singing in the worship band, the person with the microphone is the one “ministering” – but me, the one sitting in the pew receiving isn’t a minister in my own right - I don’t have the platform so I mustn’t be a minister.

Wrong! (Accompanied by loud annoying buzzer.)

We are all ministers. If you are a Christian you are a “little Christ” (that is what Christian means) and the Holy Spirit lives inside of you. All of us have the same power, same anointing, same mandate as Jesus…to glorify God though our actions. Some of us do this by caring for children, through providing goods and services to others, through repairing cars, washing windows, preparing accounts, consolidating reports, cleaning floors, writing ad copy for a product…it if is done to the best of our ability and in a God honoring way, it is “ministry.”

A lot of Christians don’t see themselves as ministers. They are involved in their churches - serving the youth, tending children, providing meals, cultivating gardens, leading cell groups, bible studies, retreats and labeling it their “ministry.” But what about all the other hours of the week?

God uses everything. Eve-ry-thing. He makes the most of every experience, every position, every contact, every moment. Why wouldn’t he make the most of you and what you do?

Would your viewpoint of work change if you saw it as your primary place of ministry? You spend most of your time there, you build relationships there, you are known and “watched” there…do you think God could use your job, your office, your business as an outlet for his love to be shown, his joy to be released and his peace to be bestowed?

I am not asking you to start an evangelistic campaign from your cubicle. I am not asking you to start a mid-week Bible study with tea and cookies. I am challenging you, however, to seek God and ask him how he would like to be revealed and shown in your place of employment. It may be as simple as changing the décor or adding a tea station to your lobby. It may mean changing the configuration of your office so your back isn’t to the door when it is opened. It may be how your treat and respond to others or how you make decisions and plan your day.

How can you bring more of God into your workplace so your co-workers, suppliers, customers, clients, employees might start to ask questions and inquire about the God you serve?

God just isn’t in the church. God is in the marketplace – and if invited he will be in your place of business as well. How will you make him known?

Updates:

•Work – Egypt was AMAZING and I can’t wait to return! The contacts we made will be life-long, the avenues and doors God opened were incredible. It was a fun, albeit short trip. I am now back at my desk prepping for the upcoming worship night, Christmas party, staff retreat / planning meeting, recruiting activities, upcoming rep training, and all the other stuff I do!

•Heath – I am 90% - much, much, much better! I am sleeping really well and jet lag was almost a non-issue this trip (not enough time to really acclimate before returning home – so I was only a bit messed up and sleepy for about a week!)

•Travel – made it home from Egypt without issue and all my baggage arrived with me. The airport in Paris, where I had a short layover, had been closed on and off due to snow accumulation. Thank God my flight arrived during a window when they were OPEN!

Requests:

•Health – That I will be 100% in the next few days. I have been sleeping well, eating right and taking needed down time to recoup from my recent travel. I would like to be totally healthy when I head home to Seattle for Christmas.

•Travel – I head to Seattle on the 22nd.

•Writing – I have had a bit of writers block recently, and no “oomph” to produce any updates… please pray that I will be re-energized, refocused, and if God chooses to continue to spread his love in this manner I’ll hear what he has to say.