And while these are all valid and incredible ways of ministering in the Spirit... there is so much more.
Everyday we are ministering to people. Most of us aren't even aware of it.
"When was I on the stage preaching... when was I upfront praying for people... or counseling people?" I hear you ask.
We have such a limited view of ministering!
Think of the countless times you have approached a cashier... usually they aren't over friendly... their job is monotonous and they have to put up with grumpy customers.
You have several choices available to you:
- You can totally ignore them...
- You can get irritated with their vacant stare and disinterested state...
- Or you can change their day... bless them... lift their spirits
The question is never 'did' you minister... but rather 'what' did you minister!
Gal 5:22-25 ESV
(22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
(23) gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
(24) And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
(25) If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.
We are called to minister love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control...
When I go up to that cashier, whatever mood I am in... grumpy, uninterested, loving... that is the mood I will serve up to the cashier when they come into my 'space'.
Haven't you ever met people in a foul mood... it didn't take you 5 seconds to pick it up and it didn't take you 5 more seconds to react to their mood... to put your defenses up... possibly to even retaliate... joining them in their mood!
They served you up their mood.
And we can do the same! Except we have the opportunity to serve up 'God's mood' - the fruits of the Holy Spirit!
Next time you face that person in a fowl mood ask yourself, "How do You feel about this person Lord?"
"If I was filled with your love for this person... what would that feel like?"
"How would you like me to serve this person Lord?"
Can you imagine if you mediated on these questions / feelings how you would be able to serve up God's moods to the fowl mooded person. Can you imagine how infectious your mood would be?
Now thats being Jesus in the flesh to that person!
Let me ask you... what are you ministering?
To minister 'God's mood' all we need to do is switch our focus off of ourselves & others... and focus on God... & spend a few seconds meditating on 'His mood'.
Its that simple! I can do it, and so can you.
I challenge you to apply this challenge for just one day... and see how you can minister to people in an awesome way.
Let me know what you thought and how your one day challenge went!
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4 comments:
Hey Clive, this is really awesome! It sounds like a revised version of your last two posts. I've been challeneged by it, so I'm going to try it out today - ministering in God's mood of love (after meditating). Will let you know how it goes. By the way, I'm loving the blog.
Your thoughts about Ministering in the Spirit led me to think about this, a bit of a ramble but hey why not.
How do we not fall into the trap of becoming robotic multitaskers. When we discuss the difference between religion and Christianity the idea of
“Do” versus “Done”
Is sometimes touted. Yet if we look at the way people, myself included typically function when faced with:
Keeping tabs of our mood
Witnessing to people and friends
Growing personally
Discipling others
Be Jesus
Flow and live in the Spirit
Pray for yourself, your friends, your neighbour, your street, your city, your nation, this world
It feels sometimes kinda like the “Do”
I guess this ties into the idea of where burnout can stem, we understand, well at least we say we understand that we can’t be “all things, to all people” but what about trying to be “all things to God”?
So how do we make sure we don’t fall into the “Do” rhythm?
Otherwise I would agree with the Mood thing, what fragrance are we giving off!
Your thoughts about Ministering in the Spirit led me to think about this, a bit of a ramble but something to chew through.
How do we not fall into the trap of becoming robotic multitaskers. When we discuss the difference between religion and Christianity the idea of
“Do” versus “Done”
Is sometimes touted. Yet if we look at the way people, myself included typically function when faced with:
Keeping tabs of our mood
Witnessing to people and friends
Growing personally
Discipling others
Be Jesus
Flow and live in the Spirit
Pray for yourself, your friends, your neighbour, your street, your city, your nation, this world
It feels sometimes kinda like the “Do”
I guess this ties into the idea of where burnout can stem, we understand, well at least we say we understand that we can’t be “all things, to all people” but what about trying to be “all things to God”?
So how do we make sure we don’t fall into the “Do” rhythm?
Hey Clive!
I am currently procrastinating (avoiding an essay on various aspects of hebrews - very interesting, very mindboggling) and finally checked out the blog! Very cool...
The topic of ministering is becoming increasingly close to my heart. I have been realising over the past few months that ministering to people is a lifestyle, a way of being. When we try to make it something we 'do' on occasion it becomes yet another burden to bear, another ball to juggle as we struggle to fit everything into our days. If we choose to see ministry as part of our identity though it becomes natural - habitual in a good way. It gets to the point where we don't even need to think about how we are going to minister to the lady in the checkout or the guy at the petrol pump, we automatically offer a genuine smile and a conversation. It may not always be an easy thing to do but it does become a natural thing.
I quite like the concept of seeing everything we do as ministering 'something' to somebody - I hadn't quite thought of it in that light before. Certainly an incentive to keep on the path of daily improvement!
Anyway thats my 2 cents for the mo - Christina informs me I'm missing Grey's Anatomy ahhhhhhhhhhhhh
luv Cat
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