I’ve been making it a goal of mine to look for opportunities to minister on purpose. We have all, at some point, become so consumed with our own day and agendas that we become tunnel-versioned  in making to the end of our days with our to-do list all neatly checked off.  I’ve grown up on a church pew, so “ministry” used to mean preaching from the pulpit, leading worship service, teaching a class, etc. Those are all wonderful works, but being a minister of His love and grace is so much more broad than that.

Ministering HIS love and grace has nothing to do with holding a position that you can note on a resume, and everything to do with being an asset to all that surrounds you. This scripture comes to mind:

Acts 10:38 (KJV)
38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

The “WENT ABOUT DOING GOOD” sure suck out like a sore thumb to me; not the fact that He stood in front of the masses proclaiming the gospel, or that He worked numerous signs and miracles, or the fact that He is the Creator…..but the fact that as He went about His day, He did good and healed all that were oppressed. He put smiles on people’s faces, He held the door open, I bet He even cracked some jokes. So, as we are all looking to be more like Him, I decided to do the same thing I began going about my day, checking off my to-do list and being more aware of those around me and coming up with ways I can make some ones day brighter, better, or easier.

I went on a vacation recently with my family. We were going to be visiting a water park and as we sat them down to go over the rules of how we would stay in pairs, adhere to the park rules of safety, etc, and yes, I know I’m a super cool Mom who can always deliver a speech so that I get eye rolls back from the kids!! I challenged them to minister on purpose. I told them they could have all the fun they wanted, but at some point during the day they had to make someone’s day better. They could be creative in coming up with their own ideas, but had to help someone somehow. I expected another eye roll here, but instead I got a little excitement, maybe mixed with a little nervousness, but is wasn’t an eye roll!! Every one of the kids (4 total) came running up to me at different times throughout the day saying, “I’ve already got mine done for the day” and would tell me who and how they helped someone out. Simple things like a float was falling down the stairs and they caught it and gave it back, how they decided to smile at everyone they passed for the day, how they let someone cut in line in front of them, how they made a new friend and hung out for a while. My heart smiled to see my babies ministering on purpose and enjoying it.

I have personally found that if I am feeling down, depressed, in a funk, or just can’t see the bright side of things…..I need to see if I have been ministering on purpose. There is a happiness and a fulfillment that only comes from giving and being a service to others. It’s amazing to me how being of service to others automatically makes US feel better!?!?! You would think giving would leave you with less and serving would drain your energy, but quite the opposite it true. “Give and it shall be given unto you….”

I will leave you with this:

1 Corinthians 13:1-7  (MSG)

13 If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate.
2 If I speak God’s Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, “Jump,” and it jumps, but I don’t have love, I’m nothing.
3-7 If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.

 

Let Love lead you.

Let Love guide you.

Let Love Speak.

Let Love Minister.

1 John 4:8 “…… God is love”

Go about doing good.

 

 

 

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