Feb 22, 2013
Alliance In Ministry
by Executive Director, Rob Appel
Be Faithful to the Ministry You Receive
The Apostle Paul remembered that the greatest calling he had ever received was the calling to serve Christ Jesus! Just as Paul’s focus on his calling kept him on the right track, so should our definitive calling keep us focused on the correct path.
If you are focused on something that is not of Christ’s calling, the Holy Spirit will make it clear that you need to get back to, and be faithful to, the ministry that you originally received! Paul’s mission was to please Jesus Christ. Paul’s attitude was to be led by the Holy Spirit—all the time and at any cost!
For the past ten years or so we have been hearing, “What’s your mission in life? What’s your purpose?” I want to ask you another question, and I’d like you to stop long enough to answer it: WHAT IS THE MINISTRY THAT YOU RECEIVED?
We all receive a ministry of some type. You might not have stopped long enough to realize what, who, and where you serve. But you do have a ministry! Are you faithful to it?
This is what Oswald Chambers was getting at in his March 5 devotional from the book His Utmost For His Highest. Chambers wrote, “Joy comes from seeing the complete fulfillment of the specific purpose for which I was created and born again, not from successfully doing something of my own choosing. The joy our Lord experienced came from doing what the Father sent Him to do. Have you received a ministry from the Lord? If so, you must be faithful to it— to consider your life valuable only for the purpose of fulfilling that ministry. Knowing that you have done what Jesus sent you to do, think how satisfying it will be to hear Him say to you, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant’ (Matthew 25:21).”
Chambers goes on to say that we each have to find a niche in life, and we find it spiritually when we receive a ministry from the Lord. To find your spiritual niche, you must have a close relationship and fellowship with Jesus. This means you must know Jesus as more than your personal Savior.
When Jesus said “Do you love Me? Then, feed My sheep,” He was not offering us a choice of if we serve Him, or how we can serve Him. He was asking for total loyalty to His mission.
As you seek God’s ministry for you, your priorities will change! His mission will become our mission. There are always going to be distractions, and some of these distractions will come from Christians. You can count on it! However, here are five tips to help keep you following God’s plan:
–1. Become confidently established in Jesus!
–2. Become focused only on Him, and His ministry for you!
–3. Build your foundation firmly on Him and become unwavering!
–4. Be ready to speak God’s word and He will encourage you and strengthen your faith!
–5. Spend time in prayer—especially praying for the following of the Holy Spirit!
God has a special calling on every person, but we must become aware of His presence first! And then He Really is Your Lord, and you can be faithful to the ministry you have received and been called to!
Next Month: A Surprise Visit from the Lord!
