When
working in a
church and
thinking of the
ministry that
happens here, I
tend to think
the people
affected by the
ministry and who
it’s for are the
people outside
the doors; the
members,
attenders and
the seekers. I
don’t think of
my co-workers as
the recipients
of my ministry
because they are
doing ministry
too. But, that
is wrong and it
is sin. All I do
should be
ministry, that’s
the kind of life
I desire. I want
that life, that
heart attitude.
I want every
thought, action,
word and motion
to be ministry.
When I pray “Thy
Kingdom come” it
means right
here, right now,
to the piece of
ground that my
feet are on at
this moment and
every moment.
I blew it, and I will continue to blow it each and every time if I don’t have the anointing of the Holy Spirit. My prayer is to make my life a ministry, to live the Kingdom life.
June 10, 2006
I worked this
week for four
days. I haven’t
worked in 6
months. I am
retired. This is
my on-call job,
at the Church I
attend. My goal
for retirement
was to get into
ministry. So,
there I
was…finally
doing
“ministry”. I’ve
wanted to work
in ministry for
a very long time
and there I was!
Now, reflecting
back, I realize
I was doing my
same old work
habits. I get so
focused on my
work and what
I’m doing, I
forget the
people around
me. There were
times I didn’t
look up when one
of them would
come and get
coffee. The
coffee is right
outside my work
space, the only
thing between me
and the coffee
pot is a big
glass window. I
would see
someone out
there or walking
by and I
wouldn’t look
up.
It reminds me of the time Jesus healed a blind man and he was only partially healed.
“They
came to
Bethsaida, and
some people
brought a blind
man and begged
Jesus to touch
him. He took the
blind man by the
hand and led him
outside the
village. When he
had spit on the
man's eyes and
put his hands on
him, Jesus
asked, "Do you
see anything?"
He looked up and said, "I see people; they look like trees walking around."
Once more Jesus
put his hands on
the man's eyes.
Then his eyes
were opened, his
sight was
restored, and he
saw everything
clearly. Jesus
sent
him home,
saying, "Don't
go into the
village." Mark
8:22-25”
I am like the
blind man, I see
people, but I
don’t see
them clearly. I
glance or look
or see them out
of my peripheral
vision, but I
don’t take the
time to see them
as a person. I
see them as a
tree, just a
vertical object.
What
I do is not
“ministry” if I
forget the
people. What I
do and the work
I accomplish is
nothing if I
don’t have love.
When I thought I
would someday
work in
ministry, the
work is not what
I desired. It
was the people I
desired and the
things Jesus
would do through
me to affect His
Kingdom and His
people.