Mr. Webby says Ministry is: the body of ministers of religion, or a person or thing through which something is accomplished.
I have to say for a long period of my life I've been guilty of thinking that my ministry was the teens, working with the youth group or whatever "organized" ministry I was involved in at the time. Which it is, but Far Short from what God can do with my life if He is given Full Control over it.
My ministry does Not start on Sunday morning at 8:30 and end at 12. Nor does it Start at 6:30 on Wednesdays and end at 8 ... :). How Shallow minded is that when I say it outloud. I've always just accepted definition 1 as my definition for ministry. Granted I am blessed to invest WAY more time with the teens than just the regularly scheduled stuff but still. My ministry does Not start and Stop with them.
Here's what I've discovered. It's a little bit of heart vomit. Meaning it's all of me, pretty personal, which is going to be stuff that is really hard for me to share.
My Entire life: things I enjoy, Trials, Hard Times of Fully Trusting God, my experiences, things He has allowed me to see or live through and things that He has made my heart overwhelmingly Tender to, Everything that God has allowed to pass through my life He Has Used and Is Using to Mold me into His vessel, and He is using them to make me aware of areas He wants to use me.
Comfort Zone / Easy Ministry: This is easily over looked as ministry, but if it's overlooked as His it could be tedious, but it's a gift from God that's He's developed in you and not everyone has the ability to do it.
God has made my heart tender in some areas and there are things I do, am willing to do ect. where I have been told, "You be careful. You don't want to be taken advantage of..." Thats Junk! Thats infuriating and Junk! I can't be taken advantage of when I'm not doing it for the receiver anyway. I'm doing it for God and doing it for His Glory Alone!
My Easy Ministry is to:
My Children: I'm ashamed to say this is one that is easily overlooked. There are Days I forget to pray for God to help me to love and treat them the way He wants me to treat them. There are days that pass when I don't speak of Jesus or mention His name to them. There are times that I've gotten frustrated with them for something innocent. Instead of treasuring these Gifts God has given me.
Other Moms: Young Moms, moms that stay at home or the mom that just started back to work. The mom that has no family in this area and just needs a babysitter. etc., etc., etc.
Friends in various Trials: Just being the grounding post and sounding board and Prayer Warrior, without allowing it to become Gossip.
There are a few people that come to mind immediately when I think of a Comfort Zone Ministry
Ashley Feather: Jack of all trades but God has given her the ability to be creative and crafty and she is able to use that Gift Daily for God's Glory.
Jerri Lafavors and all of our sign language interpreters: but Jerri saw the oppurtunity to be a host home and to be able to interpret the Entire DNow weekend. Seeing an oppurtunity and having a passion God has given you and Jumping head on into it without even considering that it may be an inconvience! Thats being a Green Light Disciple!
Gene and Margie Bridges: They Love cooking. They organized and prepared every meal on Wednesday Nights and Fundraisers and Special Events at Landmark Baptist and they Never Complained. They Loved it! Thats taking a gift they see as small and negligible, not worth mentioning. But they use it for God's Glory. I cannot imagine doing it. The thought of doing that overwhelms me. Thats Their Special Gift!
Phil. 2:3-10
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Out Of Comfort Zone: This may be easy with some people but this is not always my easy one.
The throughout the day praying for God to use you in the small moments. Like with your Waitress, the cashier, the slow driver, the gossip at work, Going opposite from the crowd at work, Sharing the gospel with your neighbor or random dude at Wal-Mart. All of this sounds not too bad but in action I've seen that God grabs my attention when I'm too busy to stop. Or wants me to give my money when I don't know if I have enough to buy groceries. Or wants me to buy lunch for a homeless man when I'm in a hurry, don't have the money and would rather die in my pride than walk up to a stranger. Or the times I'm REALLY running late and my waitress is REALLY slow but I have to call her attention to the fact that she's Under Charged me.
Hebrews 13:1-3 Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
Teens: all of them, all ages, every blessed one of them, God has given me a ridiculous, ridiculous amount of love for these guys. Which makes everything we do, every sacrifice made, every time I have to juggle a thousand things to get one thing accomplished, Worth it! Totally Worth it and excited for the next time we get to minister to them. My Ultimate Desire is to see them Fall Head over Heels in love with This Jesus that has our world in the palm of His hand. I Pray that One day they will All "Get It"!
Foster Parenting: God has dealt with my heart many times about fostering. All throughout my life. Many different times I knew this was the plan God had for my life and He's just been preparing my heart for it all along the way. When we started talking about keeping Foster children the number one question I'm asked is, "Well what age are you keeping." Which is a good question. One we've mulled over. Since we have small children, we had planned to only keep up to 7 year olds but God slapped me over it. Absolutely broke my heart.
When Candance came over for our first visit we were discussing Fostering Yada, Yada and she started telling us about the different children, the things that they face, the things that they've been through etc. etc. Then she began talking about the teens.
I Know she had to get the Holy Spirit Goose Bumps because the Lord Pierced my heart So deeply through her words. She kept looking at us like we were going to be shocked by what she was saying, but No God was So Clearly saying,
"Remember, Remember last time you knew I was calling you into this? When did you start directing your path? Have I ever taken My eyes off of you? I've got you in the palm of my hand. There's no need to fear. I've called you into this and I'm going to protect you through this. Your Children are not Your own. They are Mine I've entrusted you with and I am going to take care of them. I've prepared you for this. This is the reason for so many things I've shown you over the last few years."
It made so much sense. So many things that God's placed in our path ALL pointed to this! What else can I say but, Yes Lord!
Our Ministries should not begin and end with the church and its functions. If God can't use me in the little instances He places in my path I am not being used the way He desires my life to be used!
Hebrews 12:1-3
(which if you are unaware Hebrews 12 follows Heb. 11 which is a long list of people that have been used Radically by Him and For His Glory)
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
P.S
Since writing this God has shown me everyday different things he has done to develop in someone the characteristics He desires to use out of that persons life. King David- was taught to be a shepherd as a young boy, which taught him how to... use a sling shot, which taught him how to play the Harp to pass the time in the field, being out in the field all day everyday by Himself gave him time to pursue God and to have introspective to search his own heart, Mr. Psalmist! Going up against the animals that were trying to attack his sheep - Wow just writing that do you think that's how God developed in David a Heart Like HIS! Holy Junk! David was very Compassionate about protecting God's People. But going up against Lions and Wolves gave him a confidence in his God to go up against Goliath.
This is the only way I know how to share this Video. But it is a Prime example of being Used by God in the things we may consider small. Speaking of the woman who woke up out of her sleep with baby Shep on her heart, so she started praying. This video is about my One of my Best friends son, Shephard Godfrey.
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