Finding Joy In Your Story

Sitting here at my desk today, with the only sounds being the whir of the air conditioner and the occasional barking of a dog, I listened to a podcast, taking notes as I went. I flicked through old articles and read through devotionals in my inbox that I hadn’t had a chance to read, jumping from one thing to the next, not really able to focus on anything.

Picking up my phone, I began to scroll through my photos, and I came across a quote I had saved that seemed to jump right off the page at me, for want of a better term.

“Sometimes you have to let go of the picture of what you thought life would be like and learn to find joy in the story you are actually living.”

What a challenge!

Some days, life is just plain hard. Days roll into weeks and weeks roll into months and we feel like the roller coaster we’re on will never end, the struggles will never cease, and in the process, we lose our joy.

Sometimes in life, circumstances happen that throw our plans into disarray. We hit a bump in the road that sends us off the course we had planned. Unexpected things happen and before we know it, we wake up one day, realizing that this is not the life we planned and not the life we wanted.

We had a totally different picture in mind.

And suddenly, our joy is gone. Our happiness has been stolen away and we are left feeling discontent, disgruntled, joyless, and downright miserable.

The picture of what we thought life would look like is vastly different than the reality.

We only have one life to live and although it may not be the life we had planned and although there are twists and turns in the road that are unexpected, and with each new season, a new challenge arises, we have to choose to love the life we’ve been given and make the most of the God-given opportunities he brings across our path.

Loving life is a choice, and it should never be determined by your circumstances. The life you’re living today is the life God has given you, for this particular season, and the reason you’ve lost your joy is because of your attitude. You’ve chosen to hang on to your picture of what life should look like, instead of finding joy in the life you’ve been given.

Your peace, your joy, and your contentment depend on the choices you make.

I want to remind you that although you can’t choose the life circumstances you go through, you can choose HOW you go through them.

Are you struggling with the circumstances you find yourself in at this particular point in time? Are you fighting against the God-given difficulties in your life and feeling like you’ve reached the end of your patience level?

I feel like I’m not the only one in this season at present. Maybe I’m a little more vocal about it and I harp on it more than others, but I know I’m not the only one that has found myself in circumstances beyond my control, fidgeting and hopping from one foot to the other, battling the desire to take things into my own hands and fix it even though I have no idea how I would do it.

One of my favourite authors once said:

“Usually, the only aspect we can change about our circumstances is our outlook. So, we must adjust our attitudes, alter our actions, and put on a cloak of contentment in order to weather life’s circumstantial storms” Karen Ehman

We have to consciously make a choice to take off the cloak of discontentment and misery, and grab the garment of contentment, (being satisfied to the point that we are no longer disturbed or disquieted in our souls), wrap it around us and choose joy, knowing that God is in control, and that he will do what is best, and despite the storm raging around us, he will bring the peace that we need.  

I could very well be preaching to the choir here, as the saying goes, but I know that this particular choir member needs this reminder today, and if I need it, then I’m sure someone else does too!

So how do we learn to find joy in the story we’re living right now? In this season. At this time in history. With the people we are surrounded with. In the house we live in. With the job we have.

How do we find joy? We have to let go.

We have to let go of the picture we have painted in our minds, lay down the brush, tip out the murky water jar, wipe the paint smudges off our faces and hands, and submissively, and humbly, give our concerns to God.

It’s not an easy task, deciding to find joy in your current story.

It’s hard to look around and not feel discontentment rising inside. It’s hard to let go of all the ideas you had and the plans you had made and choose to find joy and happiness in what you’ve been given and how God has chosen to write the script of your life.

I confess that one of my biggest problems is fear. Fear of the future. Fear of the unknown. Fear of failure. And believing the lie that God is not in control and needs help with the planning.

I have begun to realise over the past couple of weeks, that my days will be miserable unless I choose to change my attitude and how I see the new picture that God has painted.

I have to choose joy. I have to diligently spend my days, looking for the little blessings God sends, looking for the roses amongst the thorns.

I can’t control everything. I don’t know what the future holds and my plans are fraught with mistakes and mess ups. Only God can organize them perfectly.

Why am I not spending every minute of my day finding joy in my new story? God’s story. God’s plans.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

God’s plans for you and for me are good, and he has our best interests at heart. He loves us with an everlasting love. He knows our deepest longings, he hears our cries, he knows the dreams and desires of our hearts and he longs for us to live a joyful, victorious life.

But joy doesn’t come automatically. It requires some effort on our part. We have to make a choice.

So, how do we do this? How do we go from fear to faith and find the joy we have lost?

Now, speaking from experience, I am no expert at this. I am continually learning and failing and learning the lesson again. God is longsuffering with me of which I am very thankful.

I am constantly reminding myself that I have to do what I can and leave God the rest. I have to learn not to stress about all I can’t do and the things beyond my control.

God is big enough to handle it.

It really is pointless to waste all my energies and brainpower on the things I can’t change. I need to drop it and move on, seeking the Lord as I go.

I know that if my husband was reading this, he’d be saying, “that’s exactly what I’ve been trying to tell you all along!” Praise God my darling husband has a steadying effect on me, and it never ceases to amaze me that he has the ability to have freedom over worry and fear. He doesn’t let stress cripple him. I would do well to learn by his example, letting go of fear and chasing joy and contentment.

I’m a work in progress. As we all are.

If I can encourage you today, to let go of your idea of what life should look like and embrace joyfully, the life God has chosen to give you today, you will find that your days, although they are often long and hard, will be more restful as you stop struggling and fighting against what God is doing, and submit to his will, going with his flow, not trying to swim against it.

He really is in control. He really is a good Father. He really does love you. He really does want you to rekindle the joy you once had and take pleasure in the blessings he sends.

John 10:10b

...I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

How Do You Choose to Identify?

 

Is anyone else absolutely sick of this worldly trend of how you identify and which pronouns you choose to use? Does it make you mad, frustrated, confused, disgusted and appalled?

I recently came across this quote and wanted to share and expound on it a little more.

“In a world full of people who prefer to be called by pronouns, I’ve now decided that I want to be known by adjectives. A few examples would be… saved, redeemed, delivered, rescued, forgiven, justified, born-again, and sanctified.”

This world is sick and it’s not getting any better.

2 Peter 3:3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,

2 Timothy 4:3-4 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

The Bible is clear in reminding us that men’s hearts will turn away from God and that they will chase after their own lusts and passions. And isn’t that the truth?

After I read this quote, I decided that I too want to be known by adjectives from now on.

About a year ago, I taught a Ladies Conference on the subject of our identity in Christ, little knowing how perverted the world would become on this very topic.

People want to identify as anything but what God created them to be.

Can I remind you that it doesn’t matter what or who you say you are, it doesn’t matter what or who others say you are, you are who God says you are and no one, not even you, has the right to define you as anything other than who he says you are!

It doesn’t matter what everyone else calls you. It doesn’t even matter what you call yourself. Only the one that gave you life, has the authority to identify you. God is the only one who has the right and the authority to tell you who you are.

Circumstances in your past, what others did to you, what they may have called you, it may have scarred you, but they are not authorized to label you and define you.

You are not defined by your past.

You are not defined by Your behaviour.

You are not defined by Your failures.

You are not defined by Your struggles.

You are not defined by Your feelings.

You are not defined by Your circumstances.

You are not defined by some crazy desire to identify as an animal or plant or another gender.

Your whole identity is rooted in who God says you are!

This whole idea of being able to decide who you are goes totally against Scripture.

When you become a child of God, no longer do you have to wonder who you are, God tells you in His Word, over and over, who you are! His word reveals your identity.

Take a look at this list of some of the things Gods says you are, as one who has put their faith and trust in him and given their life to him?

 

I am a Child of God                             John 1:12         I John 3:1,2      Galatians 3:26

I am Loved                                           1 John 4:19, 4:10, 3:16            Romans 5:8                         John 3:16        Jeremiah 31:3

I am Justified                                       Romans 5:1

I am Redeemed                                   Colossians 1:14

I am Called                                         2 Timothy 1:9

I am Known                                         Psalm 139:1    Jeremiah 1:5                                                                                              Exodus 33:17   1 Corinthians 8:3        

I am a Conqueror                                Romans 8:37

I am Victorious                                    1 Corinthians 15:55-57

I am an Overcomer                             1 John 5:5

I am Rewarded                                    Galatians 6:9   James 1:2        Psalm 37:4

I am Forgiven                                      1 John 1:9        Ephesians 4:32                                                            Psalm 103:11,12                     Colossians 3:13    

I am Saved                                          Romans 10:9,10          2 Corinthians 5:21                                                                         John 5:24         Ephesians 2:8

I am Secure                                         John 10:28,29

I am Free                                             Romans 6:18   Galatians 5:1                                                                                        Romans 8:1,2    John 8:36        

I am an Ambassador                           2 Corinthians 5:20

I am Precious                                      Isaiah 43:4

I am Blessed                                        Psalm 1:1-3    Luke 6:38         Ephesians 3:20                                                                           Ephesians 1:3   Deuteronomy 28:2

I am Created in his image                   Genesis 1:27

I am Gods workmanship                     Ephesians 2:10

I am a Friend of God                           John 15:15

I am Chosen                                        John 15:16       Colossians 3:12    I Peter 2:9.10                                                                      Ephesians 1:3,4

I am a Joint-heir                                  Romans 8:17

I am a new creation                            2 Corinthians 5:17       Ephesians 4:22-24

I am Reconciled                                   2 Corinthians 5:18,19  Romans 5:10,11         

I am Adopted                                      Romans 8:15-17          Galatians 3:26-29                                                                                  Ephesians 1:4-5          

I am Accepted                                     Ephesians 1:6

I am an Heir                                       Galatians 4:6,7

I am a member of God’s family          1 Corinthians 12:27

I am a Saint                                         Ephesians 2:19            Romans 1:7

I am a Citizen                                      Ephesians 2:19            Philippians 3:20

I am Righteous                                    Ephesians 4:24

I am Hidden                                         Colossians 3:3

I am his Sheep                                     Psalm 23         Psalm 100       John 10:14,15

I am Heard                                          Jeremiah 29:12-13                  1 Peter 3:12                                                                             1 John 5:15

I am Gifted                                        1 Peter 4:10,11            Romans 12:4-8

I am Alive                                          Ephesians 2:1,5

I am Clothed in Righteousness        Isaiah 61:10               

I am Provided for                            Philippians 4:19

I am Salt                                          Matthew 5:13

I am Light                                        Matthew 5:14

I am a Branch                                  John 15:5

I am Valuable                                   Matthew 10:31            Luke 12:7

Does this list bring joy to your heart? Do you get excited when you read verses in the Bible that remind you of all God has given you as one of his children?

Once you get saved, you are part of God’s family. You have been adopted into an entirely new family! You are now a joint-heir with Christ!  

Romans 8:16-17 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

We as Christians, should identify with Christ and we should identify with who God made us to be and who he is working, through sanctification in our lives, to be.

You have been created in the image of God.

Genesis 1:27 - So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

This means everything about you physically, your skin colour, hair texture, nose shape, bone structure, has been made in the image of God. You are unique. Even your personality is an expression of God’s creativity. You are not introverted by mistake. Extroverted by mistake. You are who God created you to be.

God gave you your strengths and weaknesses so he can uniquely use you.

You are not a mistake. He didn’t mess up when he assigned you your gender. You are his design. You were created by God. You were made in his image. He makes masterpieces. You are a masterpiece. His workmanship. His creation.

Psalm 139:14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully (unique) made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

Knowing who we are changes how we live. Or at least it should!

Having a rock-solid understanding of your identity in Christ is essential to living your life in the way He intended. 

God wants us to act like who he is calling us to be. Not to act how we feel. Not to act how others feel we should but live out who God wants us to be.

We should live like we’re Redeemed. Saved. Justified. Forgiven. Chosen. Delivered.

Don’t forget who you are and who God calls you to be. The world wants to redefine who we are. They want to label us. They want us to build our own identity apart from God. They don’t care about who we are in Christ. They don’t want God to name us. They want to name themselves.

When we know who we are in Christ, it sets us free. We don’t have to wonder anymore. We don’t have to meet the world’s standards; we have God’s truth speaking over us and telling us who we are!

He sees you as his precious child. Uniquely created to be a member of his family. Loved. Forgiven. Chosen. You don’t have to believe the lies of the world. You are valuable and special to him. He made you in his image and he willingly laid down his life for you. And his plans for you are good.

This world’s corrupt view of man is twisted and warped, but praise God we have his Word to remind us of who we really are.

Don’t use pronouns to describe yourself. Use adjectives. And take them straight out of the pages of Scripture.

 

Who are you?

Saved. Redeemed. Delivered. Forgiven. Loved. Chosen.

 

Break free from the chains of the world’s identity and embrace your God-given identity! By embracing who God says you are, you will begin to see yourself as God sees you.

 

 

 

 

 

Trust. Cry. Praise

 

Sometimes I wonder how I would survive without the Psalms being a part of my daily life. The book of Psalms or the book of songs, has some of the most quoted, most well-known, most loved verses in all of Scripture.

We read the Psalms and are comforted. Sometimes warned. Instructed. We turn to the Psalms and find hope. Love. Comfort. But also, anguish, turmoil and emotional outbursts. But there is also a beautiful balance of true worship from a heart overflowing with God’s love and goodness to us.

The Psalms seem to show us the whole spectrum of emotions and maybe that is why they speak to me so loudly.

Emotions are God-given and not to be afraid of. Don’t let them rule you, but don’t be afraid of them!

Some of the Psalms are written so heartfelt that you can almost feel exactly what the writer is going through. And I think that resonates with many of us as it helps us see that we are not alone in our suffering or our fears.

The book of Psalms is made up of 150 individual Psalms, written by various authors over a period of approximately one thousand years in Israel’s history.

It is one of the most diverse books of the Bible dealing with subjects such as God’s creation, war, worship, wisdom, sin and evil, justice, judgement and the coming of the Messiah.

It is a treasure trove of precious gems and promises.

Many of the Psalms were penned by King David and we often see him in difficult circumstances, fearing for his life, falling on his face before God and then worshipping him with all his heart.

This past Sunday, Psalm 56 was brought to my attention, and I noticed three things I wanted to share briefly.

Our need to:

Trust in the Lord

Cry to the Lord

Praise the Lord

Over and over in the Psalms, and in many other books in the Bible, we are told to trust in the Lord. What a comfort it is to know that God is totally trustworthy, will never let us down and will never fail us, as others often do.

In verse 3 of this Psalm, we read:

Psalm 56:3 KJV - What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.

What a beautiful and yet, simple verse. We often teach this verse to our children to comfort them, but it’s not just for children. I need this verse more often than I care to admit.

I have a Saviour who is there when I am afraid. He knows when I’m fearful. And he is totally trustworthy.

In verses 4 and 11, we read the phrase, “In God have I put my trust”.

I notice something interesting in these verses and many others. It’s the use of the words,

 “I will” and “I have”.

There is determination in those little words. I WILL trust. I HAVE trusted. The verse doesn’t read, what time I am afraid, I might trust in you God. No! It is I WILL!

A choice has been made to trust. A determined choice.

Then we look at verses 8 and 9.

Psalm 56:8-9 KJV - Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book? When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me.

I love that we can cry aloud to the Lord. He’s not afraid of our tears. It even says he keeps them in a bottle. (The explanation for that I’ll leave for another post).

Do you ever meet people, or maybe you are one yourself, that is afraid of tears? They are totally at a loss to know what to do with someone who is crying.

As the song so aptly says, Tears are a language God understands. He understands our cries. He hears them, he can interpret them, and he can bring comfort to the troubled soul.

It is so important that we cry to God. He longs to hear from us the thoughts we’re thinking, the fears we’re feeling, the anguish that grips us. He wants us to cry to him. Because he knows just what to do with our cries. He has all the answers, and he has all the comfort.

As we move down into verses 10 and 12, the theme of praise that so often comes up in the Psalms, is revealed.

Psalm 56:10, 12 KJV - In God will I praise his word: in the LORD will I praise his word. ... Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render praises unto thee.

As I’ve said so many times before, it is of utmost importance that we praise God. It’s interesting in this Psalm, that the Psalmist says he will praise God’s word. He saw that even God’s word was worthy of praise because of the author.

Praise needs to be the habit of every Christian. We should never neglect thanksgiving to God. We need to develop a heart of gratitude and we need to learn to praise God sincerely and often.

The beginning of the Psalm sees the Psalmist laying out his problems before God and asking for mercy. Then a remembrance that God is near. And then we read of a cry to God and the Psalm then moves on to praise.

A beautiful progression of turmoil to triumph. Of fear to faith. Of pain to praise.

There is so much more to be said on the subject of trusting and crying and praising, but I just wanted to share these three little things and I pray that you will dig into the Psalms some more and find all the mentions of these things and then put them into practice.

Don’t take my word for it! Look for yourself and you will be blessed beyond measure!

 

Psalm 115:11 KJV - Ye that fear the LORD, trust in the LORD: he is their help and their shield.

Psalm 57:2 KJV - I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me.

Psalm 57:9 KJV - I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations.

 

 

 

 

 

Stop Praying.  Start Doing.

 

Stop praying? It sounds counter intuitive, doesn't it? We are told so many times in Scripture to pray, that to say, Stop Praying, sounds wrong.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 “Pray without ceasing”

Luke 21:36 “Watch ye therefore, and pray always....”

Colossians 4:2 “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving”

We see in the Bible, that God gives us clear instruction regarding prayer and emphasises the importance of it.

Why then, or when, should we STOP praying?

Imagine telling your children to go clean their messy rooms. Two hours later you walk in and see them sitting on the floor, praying for God to reveal His will about whether they should begin. Lofty prayers, but no submission. No obedience. There was no need to pray about a clear instruction they had already been given.

Prayer is clearly NOT what they needed to be doing in this instance. Obedience was.

How often is this the case with our prayers?

This example sounds silly I know, but strangely enough, that's how we often handle prayer. We hide behind it. We hope it will cover for our disobedience in other areas that are harder to do than just praying. God keeps telling us the things we need to do, and we just keep 'praying about it' with no steps of action. There comes a time when God has revealed His will, and we need to stop praying, get up and DO His will.

In John 14:15, God says, “If ye love me, keep my commandments”.

If our prayers are coming from a rebellious heart, and we are not following Him with faith, submission and obedience while claiming to love Him, we are hypocrites.

We are given clear instruction in the Word of God about how we are to live our lives, how we are to treat others, what we should follow after, what we should run the other way from, and yet, we often think we are being super spiritual when we say we’re going to pray about it.

Don’t kid yourself. If you know in your heart that God is calling you to something, and you decide to just wait a bit longer for God to answer your prayer, then in your waiting, all you’re doing is disobeying!

Now, don’t get me wrong, prayer is really important, and we need to take time to pray about the what, when and how, but when we already know God’s will and we keep praying instead of jumping into action, we are guilty of disobedience.

When Joshua was trying to understand Israel's defeat at Ai, God told him to get up! Stop praying.

Joshua 7:10-11 And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff.

God told Joshua to stop praying and start doing. He was on his face crying out to God but the better course of action was to go and find the source of the problem and remove it from the camp. And Joshua did just that.

Joshua 7:16 So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken:

Another instance in the Bible of God commanding prayer to stop was when God told several of the prophets to stop praying for Israel.

Jeremiah 7:16-17 Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee. Seest thou not what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?

The people were in disobedience to God and pursuing idolatry, so God told the prophets to stop praying. As long as the Israelites continued to rebel, it was pointless to pray.

Jeremiah 7:23 But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.

Obedience matters. What you're praying for could be coming from a willing heart, right with God, but often what God wants from you is action. Not more prayer.

Too many times I'm guilty of putting off something I know I should be doing, and just praying about it. I ask, “Is it your will God?” when I know full well that it is. I'm just delaying because it's too hard or too humbling or easier just to pray about it.

All too often we pray but don't obey. But obedience and prayer go hand in hand.

Stop praying about it if you're not willing to obey.

If you are walking in disobedience to God by not stepping out when you know he has called you to, then stop praying about it. No amount of prayer is going to help give you guidance. The only prayer you should be praying is a prayer of repentance for being so faithless.

Is there something in your life right now that you know you should be doing? Is there someone you know God has told you to speak to, or maybe a ministry God has put on your heart that you keep putting off?

Are you wasting time praying about

 it when you should be just doing it?

James 4:17

 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

 

Stop praying. Start doing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Your Ministry Begins 

Right Where You Are

Have you ever given thought to the fact that as a Christian, you are called to ministry? In fact, you are already in ministry.

If you have become a child of God, through putting your trust in him and being saved by grace through faith, you are now in full-time ministry!  

You no longer have to wonder at your purpose in life. Your job is to share the love of Christ and to preach the gospel to every creature.

It’s no longer about your agenda. You are not your own. It’s no longer you who lives, but Christ who lives in you.

Galatians 2:20 KJV - I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Now, you may think, I’m not a Pastor, or a Youth Worker, or a Missionary. I’m not on the staff at my Church. I don’t teach a Sunday School Class or work in the Outreach Ministries of my Church.

Stop thinking that just because you don’t fill one of these roles, you are not in ministry!

Stop letting people tell you that working for the government, or running your family business, or driving a truck for a living, or enjoying your job as a day care worker or a myriad of other things is not God’s plan for you in this season of life!

Stop letting the opinions of man keep you from being a light in your current workplace, no matter how insignificant your job or position may seem.

Your job title doesn’t matter, but how you use your time does!

Just because you are not a paid staff member of your church or have a degree in Theology or serve in one of the ministries in your church, doesn’t mean that you, as a Christian, are not in full-time ministry.

Your humble, every day life can make a difference to God and his Kingdom.

Jesus himself was not paid by the church. He was a carpenter’s son who most probably worked alongside his father before setting out on his mission by God.

Priscilla and Aquilla were tentmakers who helped Paul on his missionary journey by letting him live and work with them in order to provide for himself. Acts 18:1-4.

We often believe the lie that tells us that in order to be someone in God’s eyes, we have to serve in some noticeable way in our churches.

We seem to think that the Pastoral role and Missionary role is way up high on the list of ministries and that anything other than a speaking/teaching role in the church is somehow less.

Now, don’t get me wrong, they are very important God-given callings and much needed.

But what a sad and sorry state of affairs when we forget that God has gifted everyone differently and given each of us talents and abilities that we can use in our unique walks of life to further his kingdom and ‘preach’ the gospel to those in our spheres of influence.

Stay at home mum, with little ones running around, busy with laundry and dishes and ABC’s, you are no less important in your service to the Lord than the Pastor that preaches the Word on a Sunday morning.

You are in ministry! Your ministry is right in front of you. You are training the next generation of leaders. As you teach them the stories from the Bible and read the Word of God with them, leading by example, praying with them, loving them, you are teaching them more than you know or realise. Your testimony is the light they see and hear.

Your ministry begins right where you are!

Busy career woman, commuting to work, sitting at your desk, putting in long hours in front of a computer screen, you are in ministry!

Start with those around you. Your ministry begins where you are!

Sadly, we often begin to believe the lie that in order to make a difference in this world, bigger is better. Be an influencer! Get 1 million followers! Reach more people!

Yes, it would be awesome if we could reach more people with the gospel, but if you’re not willing to do it where you are, what makes you think you’ll do it somewhere else, or when you have a bigger following?

God has called every Christian to begin where he/she is.

Do you remember the story of the man with the unclean spirit in the country of the Gadarenes? Mark 5:1-20  Luke 8:26-39.

This was a man who had not one, but many devils living inside him and the Lord Jesus miraculously healed him and cast them out of him and into a herd of pigs who then ran violently off a cliff into the sea.

It is a very impressive story but let me draw your attention to something interesting.

After the man was healed and clothed and sitting in his right mind at the feet of Jesus, the people of that country were so afraid at what had taken place, that they pleaded with Jesus to leave and get out of town.

Now, we have a man who has been healed and is so excited about it that when Jesus is ready to depart, he asks to go with him.

Mark 5:18-19 KJV - And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him. Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.

Luke 8:38-39 KJV - Now the man out of whom the devils were departed besought him that he might be with him: but Jesus sent him away, saying, Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him.

This is where it gets interesting.

What did Jesus tell him to do?

Firstly, he refused him. And then he sent him away with a new mission. A new ministry.

Go home and tell your friends. Go home and tell everyone what has happened to you. Tell them how great God is.

Now, I’m sure the man was a little sad at hearing that. He wanted to go with Jesus and possibly see more miracles. Greater things. Bigger ministries. More exciting adventures.

But God said your ministry begins right where you are (my paraphrase).

Jesus didn’t tell him to go and start a church. He didn’t tell him to become an Evangelist and preach to hundreds. He didn’t tell him to start a Youth ministry or a Sunday School.

No. He simply said, start with your friends. Your own house. Your own people. Your own sphere of influence that you currently have.

Begin where you are, with what you have!

And that’s not the end of the story. As we read on, we find that when Jesus did return, the people gladly received him. They marvelled at all the man had told him and they were ready to hear more.

Luke 8:40 KJV - And it came to pass, that, when Jesus was returned, the people gladly received him: for they were all waiting for him.

Mark 5:20 KJV - And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.

This man had faithfully fulfilled his calling. He had shared what the Lord had done for him. He had shared with his family and friends. He had begun where he was.

Does that not speak volumes to you about where you find yourself right now?

Does it encourage your heart that you can stay faithful in your job, sharing the gospel as you have opportunity, serving the Lord in where he has placed you for however long the season is?

You don’t have to feel inferior because you don’t have a job title in your church. You don’t have to feel less because you work long hours and can’t always make it to every service and every meeting your church holds.

As long as you are putting your relationship with the Lord above all else and making him top priority in your life, fellowshipping with other believers as often as you can, you are already in full time ministry for him, sharing his love with the circle of people he has placed in your life, those he cares deeply about.

You may never get 1 million subscribers or lead a Bible Study that reaches more than 10 or fill a role that has a specific title in the church.

You may feel small and insignificant and think that your contribution is meagre, but you can make all the difference in someone’s life.

If you don’t reach them, who will?

God has placed you where you are with the people that surround you, at this time, for a purpose. It is your job to be a light in a dark world.

It is your job to be all there, wherever you are!

Don’t be discouraged thinking that you are too small to make a difference. If only one person is helped by something you were able to share, if only one person is encouraged by your testimony, if only one person remembers you because there is something different about you and they are drawn to it, then rejoice. Be excited that God chose to use you right where you are.

Don’t feel like Christian ministry is an unattainable height left for those more experienced and knowledgeable and mature in the Lord.

Your current situation and workplace are your mission field. You’re on the front lines!

Don’t let anyone tell you that full-time ministry is only found in the confines of a church building. God is much bigger than four walls.

There is a lot to be said for friendship evangelism. Start by being a friend and let the Lord lead and guide you and give you opportunities to witness.

Support those that are in roles in the church that have a title and particular function but don’t ever feel like you are not important. You have a job to do just as they have. Wherever you are, be all there! Be all in.

If you are a believer, you are in ministry. And yes, it is full-time ministry. Part-time is not an option!

Every day that you are alive and breathing, you are in ministry.

God has called you to go out and share the gospel. Get busy being a shining light wherever God has put you.

 

Ministry begins right where you are!