The Value of Ministering Like Jesus
My sons, don't be negligent now; for the Lord has chosen you to stand before him, to minister to him, and that you should be his ministers, and burn incense. — 2 Chronicles 29:11
He saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before times eternal. — 2 Timothy 1:9
Author
Faustino de Jesús Zamora Vargas
Summary: Ministry is a spiritual calling from God, not a profession or an obligation imposed on us. By grace, Christ saves us and calls all believers to serve him. Our service springs from love for God and responds to the needs of our neighbors, whether they believe or not. We cannot stand idly by: obedience means setting aside our own interests and laying our lives at the Lord’s feet. His calling serves his purpose and remains steadfast. The church needs ministers who meet God’s standards more than it needs new ministries. Let us serve the Lord with joy.
Ministry is a calling, not an occupation. This calling is spiritual in nature, never carnal; it is divine, never earthly. He chose me first and then called me to minister. It is a privilege, not an imposition.
We have been called to serve the Lord. “But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his wonderful grace” (Gal. 1:15). What did God call us to do if not to serve him?
Our calling is to be ministers of Jesus Christ, and that concerns all of us who have received salvation by grace through faith. A Christian’s identity is revealed in service, which naturally flows from the love of God in our hearts as we minister to him and to the needs of our neighbors, whether they are believers or not.
The Irish politician and philosopher Edmund Burke said in the eighteenth century: “The only thing needed for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” Taking this thought into a purely spiritual context, we could paraphrase it as follows: “All the devil needs to get his way is for the men of God to stand with their arms folded.”
We Christians are called to serve; it is not an option. In a book whose title I cannot remember, I read that the word minister was applied to the rowers of ancient galleons who, chained in place, propelled those enormous ships across the seas by the strength of their arms. The illustration could not be better. A minister is like a rower who is “chained” to Christ, a servant who acts because he understands that obedience to divine purposes is the work of God’s grace for the good of others, and because he has renounced his own interests to lay his life entirely at the Lord’s feet.
The idea of being called to minister to (serve) the Lord is repeated again and again in the Bible. “It was he who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.” (2 Timothy 1:9, RVA). Another verse on which to reflect regarding ministry to the Lord is this one: “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” (Rom. 11:29). From these two verses we can draw the following conclusion: Jesus saved me and called me to be his minister for his glory (the purpose). This calling is radical and unchanging (it is his sovereign decision, and I have no excuses).
The church of Christ needs the help of good ministers more than it needs new ministries. Good ministries, by our human standards, pass away, even much more quickly than some good ministers. Sadly, not many good ministers adhere to divine standards when carrying out their ministries.
Let us serve the Lord with joy. We are ministers of the best of all ministries. We are all ministers in the body of Christ. Let us say with Joshua, “…But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Josh. 24:15).
God bless you!