A concept for me that I wanted to understand more of on this trip was knowing and seeing how to really minister to people daily. Growing up I had always been told that you don’t have to be a missionary, pastor or youth pastor in order to minister to people. What you do everyday is also just as important. While that statement made sense I don’t think I knew what it looked like. So often in our Christian walk we tend to put those with the job title in ministry on a pedestal. We make the idea of ministry so unobtainable in our daily lives. When you read through the Bible, yes Christ preached and performed miracles but He met people where they were. His eyes were constantly open to see His people, to see who He could love on.
A few weeks ago I was able to spend a week in Chiang Khong, Thailand a small town on the border or Thailand and Laos. We stayed with a Jay and Heidi, better known as mom and dad, a missionary couple serving the Hmong people in the villages there. Being able to minister with them and another couple Tom and Sue was an amazing experience. While we were able to meet people where they were, sit and talk, eat with them and hold a baby, for me the week was about seeing Jay, Heidi, Tom and Sue. Often in the states we want to see the pictures and hear amazing stories about how God is changing lives drastically and then in a way we deem the work that is being done as worthy. The definition of ministry is the spiritual work or service of a Christian, to simplify, ministry is life and life is ministry. Understanding the culture that you are in, learning ways to continuously show Christ’s love to people when they’ve dismissed having conversations with you and purposefully walking through a village to seek out people. I encourage you the next time you have a missionary come to your church or if God lays one on your heart now, write them a note, pray for them a little more. Sometimes being in a foreign country and truly leaving family, friends and all of the usual comforts Satan attacks you in.
Seeing how the people here are so devoted to their works based religions, everyday making sure there is a fresh new acceptable sacrifice and giving of what little they have to receive a blessing from a god that is not there to answer them. Is heartbreaking, but my first thought was man if they knew Christ the things they could do for His Kingdom. Their whole lives have been about devoting everything to a god that requires things of them. To imagine what and how their desire for their people and for Christ would be contagious. I don’t have to in Chiang Khong there was a pastor from Laos who was at a wedding we were attending, he was barely told why we were there and immediately, earnestly and with such emotion asked if we would speak to his people about Jesus. Often we feel that we have to purpose to do ministry to allow ourselves to search for people. Y’all if you only take one thing from this super long blog, please see people, be willing to divert your plans for God’s and know that every encounter makes a difference.
Somewhere throughout the years we have complicated what Christ intended to be so simple and have put so many lofty expectations on ourselves to make big moves for Christ without Him. When all He has requested of us is to boldly see His people and let them know. Lately I’ve been convicted to really feel and understand what Christ did for us in a deeper way. If we lived daily knowing Christ’s ultimate sacrifice for us and that He deeply desires us and has an unquenchable thirst to get to know and bring back all of His people, lost and saved. How could we not want to seek His people? How could we not want to give everything of ourselves? I have walked countless streets and talked to so many travelers that are seeking and that have such a lonely longing in their eyes. So where ever you are today, seek to see His people, seek to share His all powerful consuming love. Are you doing ministry?
