My ministry this month is simple. We are working with a before and after school care that helps, feeds, and provides a safe place for children who are hungry and have troubled pasts. It sounds great and don’t get me wrong it is great! But the kind of work that we are doing there isn’t what you would think. The mornings are full of little tasks. Some days we garden and pull weeds. Other days we clean the bathrooms, closets, rooms, or refrigerators. Then in the afternoons we usually serve the children their lunches, wash dishes, talk with our ministry hosts and the staff, or play with the kids.
It’s mostly a chill day and a chill ministry. It’s not like the US where there’s a schedule for everything and we are bound by time. In fact, once we are done cleaning or gardening in the morning they just tell us to sit and relax. It’s nice that they give us this time because in those moments of rest I’ve been able to build relationships with the staff, our ministry host, and our new ministry team which is such a sweet blessing!
Although, there are times almost everyday when I’m sitting there without a task and I don’t feel like I’m doing anything. I don’t feel like I’m making an impact because I’m just cleaning, gardening, relaxing, or talking. I don’t feel like I’m making an impact because I’m not doing something extravagant. Yes, we are feeding the hungry and helping troubled kids, but not in the way that I had expected. We are doing these things by simply serving in the little things.
I brought this struggle to God. I told Him how much I wanted to impact His kingdom and do His work, but I didn’t feel like I was doing much of anything at all. I told Him: it’s so simple…what’s the point? As I brought this to God He said, “Your ministry is simple, impactful but simple…just like my gospel.” Wow. I would have never thought about it like that, but it’s true.
This man named Jesus was born in Bethlehem to a virgin, Mary. He was the Lord’s son. He grew up fulfilling all that the prophets had said about Him before He was born. He was a carpenter boy, refugee, foreigner, and wise teacher. He was baptized and during His baptism the sky opened up and God called down from heaven, “This is my son in whom I’m well pleased.” After His baptism He was tested in the wilderness for forty days by Satan and passed. Not long afterwards He invited His disciples to come along with Him on this amazing journey with the Lord. Jesus preached, healed, and cast out demons from people. He was perfect. He fulfilled the law in a way that we couldn’t. Then on Good Friday He was betrayed by one of His closest friends, one of His disciples. He was spit at, beaten, mocked, and flogged multiple times by a whip dangling with glass and sharp objects. This man, this Jesus, who was perfect and lacking nothing stood there quietly while the skin of His back was being ripped off, blood dripped down His head as a crown of thorns pressed into His temples, His body ached in pain as He walked miles up a hill to His death, and people mocked Him the whole time. This perfect Jesus who loved us so dearly was quiet because He wanted to accept our sins out of love. He hung quietly on the cross gasping for every breath while people taunted Him all day long. But we were worth it to Him. If death is the only thing that could separate us from God then Jesus was going to take that upon Himself so that nothing can separate us from His love. To Him we are worth it. In His eyes, we are worth the chase in order to be with Him even if that means death. Then on Sunday morning He rose again conquering death and sin on the cross. He bore the sins of the world and died a cruel death so that He can conquer the barrier between us and God. He went through all of that and chose to sacrifice His life for us before we were born. And if Jesus had to do it again just for you He would.
That’s the simple gospel. It’s simple, but powerful. It’s simple, but full of love.
That’s what our ministry is like. Just like the gospel it’s simple, but powerful. Just because it isn’t extravagant and tells a cool story doesn’t mean it’s not powerful. It doesn’t necessarily matter what we do, but the heart we have in it because through our open heart God could do anything. Just like through Jesus’ open heart God used Him to save the world. God allowed Him to die on the cross and rise again just because He loves us. I have God’s love in my heart too because I’m His daughter. Because of that love I’m cleaning dishes, gardening, or serving food to hungry kids. It’s not extravagant, but I know God works in the small things as much as the big things. It may not be much, but it means something to the Father. It’s powerful because I’m working out of a heart of love and obedience. That’s enough for God.
If it’s one thing I’m learning in ministry it’s Zechariah 4:10, “For who despises the day of small things?” I’m learning to not despise the small and simple things because God is doing mighty things through them.
Yes, our ministry is simple, but it’s powerful just like the simple gospel.
