When did I become a missionary? Was it when I first held an orphan, or first entered a shack, or stood in front of a village to preach, or jumped on an airplane to go overseas? No, I became a missionary the moment I said “Yes!” to Jesus- “Yes” to I believe in You, I will be obedient, and I will give my life to You.
What is “ministry”- does it have to be pre-planned, organized and something impressive? No! Our lives ARE ministry- what we do comes out of who we are!!
1 Cor 10:31 – “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Our lives are ministry when we are children of God, because we bear His name. All we do (even eating and drinking, going to the grocery store, going to the gym, doing laundry, our jobs, driving in the car, etc) is to be offered up to the Lord as a living sacrifice.
I used to sometimes feel like I was wasting time when I was doing some of these things because I was not doing something I considered “ministry” for God, yet God has Paul include this Scripture for us so that we can see that in every single thing we do, we can bring glory to God. So much pressure has come off me from just sitting with Jesus, getting to know His heart more and also who I am in Him. From knowing Him, really knowing Him, and knowing who I am in Him- I am free to be who He created me to be and not live under condemnation!
Thinking about coming to Africa, I pictured days full of holding children, hugging women, playing in the dirt with orphans, jumping around praising the Lord African style, etc. We had an AMAZING time in Mozambique which included a lot of this, then God started speaking to me about unexpected ministry that I would’ve easily overlooked.
First He sat my butt down and wooed me, asking me to just be with Him. He asked me to stop looking for what was next, and enjoy just being with my Creator, Father, Savior, Lover of my Soul, Friend. He also asked me to talk with Him more, listen to what He wanted to speak, be ok with silence (ie just sitting with Him to watch a sunset, the waves crashing against the rocks, the sun glistening on the water like diamonds), and to intercede (stand in the gap for family, friends, churches, ministry partners, etc)- to share my heart with Him about these different areas and to ask for more of Him to be known.
Jesus himself took time to withdrawl and be with His Father! He wasn’t always busy doing things that most today would consider ministry.
As He has quieted my spirit and I am perfectly content to just spend the day with Him, He is now opening up more “doing” ministries because my heart and love are truly His. Just 10 minutes earlier we had been praying for more unselfishness and for opportunities to impart things He was teaching us, when we got a phone call that one of the world race teams that just started in June was thinking of coming down to join us- the team of 8 women. We knew immediately that this was a God-thing, and were willing to give up our space, quiet, and time to welcome these women.
Over the following days, the Lord really burdened our heart to pray for them. We felt like we were to devote a full day to prayer, and had lots of things we thought we’d be praying about that day but the Lord kept bringing us back to interceding for this team. We later found out that same night was when God unified their team about coming and covered them with peace about the decision. The Lord is in the midst of doing some breaking, cleaning out and reshaping in them (as He does with us all). They are a beautiful team of young women, and through so much prayer for them, the Lord has really given us (Tom, Cindy, Lynette, Alissa and me) so much love for them! We are getting to pour in to them in one on ones, group discussions, sharing what the Lord has been teaching us, and continuing to lift them up in prayers.
It’s awesome to watch what God is doing in them as they are spending time sitting with Him and He is revealing things to their hearts. Tears, laughter, honesty, chocolate chip cookies, it’s a wonderful thing! 🙂 I never in a million years would’ve thought the Lord would have me with an American family ministering to a group of 8 American girls while I was all the way over here in Africa! But I have so much peace in my heart that this is what He is doing right now and I’m exactly where He wants me, and none of this I would’ve ever been able to make happen or a place I ever would’ve put myself.
Ministry is never about a program or an organization, it’s
always about loving people!! As we’ve been called to take this month to pray and learn to just BE, He has brought people into our lives to love- students from Pneumatix ( a nearby Christian expressive arts college), homeless and poor people, friends who just needed to talk and be prayed for, Deon at the gas station, people in the shops/vendors. Even going to watch and support a friend in a production- it meant a lot to him to have us come and cheer him on- that’s ministry because it’s about relationship! I guess I’ve known much of my life that ministry can look lots of different ways and have most of the time tried to look for ways to be Jesus and share about Him, but God is taking the pressure off of having to perform and feel like if there isn’t something apparently “big” that I’m a part of, that is ok too. It’s not about the “big” things necessarily (though it could be), it’s just about obedience and love! 🙂
When I use the expression “to just BE,” I am not saying to just merely exist, I am saying to BE who Jesus has made me and to know my identity in Him, to look like Him just as much when I am out doing as when I am at home or at the store or at work or anywhere I go- because it’s not about just “doing” ministry but about loving my Savior!
Check out Jimmy’s blog- Brilliant!! : http://jimmymccarty.theworldrace.org/index.asp?filename=a-moment-of-clarity
So, who am I?
My Creator answers this Q for me (and for you- it’s all in His love letter to us)!
A daughter and princess of the Most High King of Kings
Set apart, called and chosen (not b/c I deserved it, but b/c of His grace)
Redeemed, purified, dearly loved
Free to live (from any bondage, opinions of others, etc)
Dead to myself, alive in Christ
Emptied of worldly “rights” (all I have is His- it’s all been given to me to use in this world as He asks of me and to be given away to build up the church body, none of my possessions are my own)
Wealthier than all the riches of this world (Jesus and everything Jesus has is my inheritance- I am never in need or want because my Father has all things)
Gifted and beautiful (I’m made in the image of my Father, and am given parts of His character and the Holy Spirit in me to form and mold me and produce in my life fruits of the Spirit- love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control)
Fearless (b/c I carry the name of God Almighty and His authority given to me through His Son Jesus Christ; victorious!)
Purposed in His kingdom (I’ve got an important role to play as His daughter and b/c I bear His name, I don’t have to/am not forced but am priviledged to play a role in His kingdom…in telling how great my Daddy is and about His love, also in fighting against the enemy who tries to steal, kill and destroy b/c my Daddy offers abundant life!!)
Captivating (He is captivated by me and longs to spend time with me, His ear is always attentive to my voice and He is always eager to talk with me; I have direct access as His daughter to climb in His lap, dance in His chambers, and to talk with Him)
