DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT - THURSDAY: Get On With Your Ministry!

“I myself, for instance, am not especially gifted, and am shy by nature, but my gracious and merciful God and Father inclined Himself to me, and when I was weak in faith He strengthened me while I was still young. He taught me in my helplessness to rest on Him, and to pray even about little things in which another might have felt able to help himself.” - - James Hudson Taylor
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We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. --Rom 12:6a (NIV)

In my role as a Pastor, I often get the opportunity to speak and minister at other Churches, Bible Colleges, High Schools, and Youth Meetings, (Yes I know, at my age its ridiculous, but I just love speaking to young people). One of the assertions that always come up as I minister is... “I don’t know what my ministry is!”

Young, mature, male or female, it doesn’t matter, they still tell me the same thing, and I spend some time explaining to them that every Christian has a ministry! EACH ONE HAS A PART TO PLAY IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD! He has placed you in a strategic role! You are important to your church ministry, so just use your gift to the Glory of God and leave the results to Him.

We Are All Called To Minister
To begin with, we have to understand that each of our gifts differ from the others, so God assigns each of us to our place of ministry... And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. -- 1 Cor 12:28.

As many vapours, rising from the sea, meet together in one cloud, and that cloud falls down divided into many drops, and those drops run together, making creeks of water, which meet in channels, and those channels run into streams, and those streams into rivers, and those rivers into the sea: so it either is or should be with the gifts and graces of the Church. They all come down from God, divided severally as he will to various Christians. They should flow through the channels of their special vocations into the common streams of public use for church or community, and ultimately return into the great ocean of his glory, from whence they originally came. -- Source unknown

Minister in Love
Christians who have a genuine love for others in the body of Christ must desire Spiritual gifts in order to minister help, comfort, encourage and strengthen those in need. We must not wait passively for God to give the gifts of the Spirit, instead we must earnestly desire, seek and pray for them ... Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, --1 Cor 14:1a.

And we are to use what God has given us for the improvement of the Church and its ministries; preaching, teaching, caring, counselling, men, woman and children’s ministries, evangelism and outreach... So it is with you. Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church. -- 1 Cor 14:12.

An elderly widow, restricted in her activities, was eager to serve Christ. After praying about this, she realized that she could bring blessing to others by playing the piano. The next day she placed this small ad in the Oakland Tribune: "Pianist will play hymns by phone daily for those who are sick and despondent--the service is free." The notice included the number to dial. When people called, she would ask, "What hymn would you like to hear?" Within a few months her playing had brought cheer to several hundred people. Many of them freely poured out their hearts to her, and she was able to help and encourage them. --Source Unknown.

These last days in which we live are perilous, but they are also days of great opportunity! God has given gifts to the body of Christ that they may be used for the extension of His Kingdom. So let’s use them now, that we may see drunks become sober, drug addicts become addicted to Jesus, families that were broken by the enemy – repaired by God, people from all walks of life – would know the real meaning of life, children prevented from abuse of all kinds! So what are you waiting for... “Get On With Your Ministry!”

Loving Father, I thank you that I have a ministry! Help me by the power of the Holy Spirit, to eagerly desire the gifts that you have provided for me in my ministry. That I may use them to bring glory to your name, and to edify my church and its ministries. Help me Lord to reach out and use my ministry to help those in need. In Jesus wonderful name I pray! Amen!