Let’s Take This Journey Together: Concerning Ministry
Hello ladies, and welcome to my blog! The year 2014 is behind us – which means it’s time to say goodbye to my Women of the Bible Series. I must say, as I wrote about each of those pivotal women, learning the way they thought, felt and realizing their experiences were not much different than our experiences today, I found myself connecting with each of them in a special way. I hope you learned from them as I did.
This year I am shifting focus again. As a teacher, my students know that one of my favorite sayings is, “Let’s take this journey together!” So, I decided to make this the title of my 2015 blog. This year, I will be answering questions that many of us have about this Christian journey, but may be afraid to ask. All questions are submitted anonymously, and I will answer your questions using Biblical principles and drawing from my personal experiences. So if you have a question or would like to comment, feel free to submit them – you just may see your question addressed and answered on my blog! I look forward to another year of sharing with you. Let’s Take This Journey Together!
Taking this journey together,
First Lady Vivian Pruitte
***
QUESTION: I hear the term, “walking in your ministry” all the time, but I am honestly unsure about what it means or what my particular ministry is. How does God reveal our personal ministries? Is it just a matter of figuring out what I’m good or passionate about?
***
ANSWER: When people tell me they don’t know what God has called them to do, I often encourage them to look at what they are good at and passionate about. While this is not the end all to the things the Lord has in store for you to accomplish, this is a good starting point.
When the Lord saves us we retain our personality. God uses our personality because it is unique and there are people who will be drawn to Christ because of our personality. Your personality ties into what you love to do or have a passion for. Once you discover your passion, figure out ways you can use it to benefit the Kingdom of God. Keep in mind that your ultimate goal is to draw others to Christ. This is the number one ministry which the Lord has given to all believers, whether or not you are ever called to a specific ministry position (i.e. missionary, minister, elder, etc.).
Another step to discovering how to walk in your ministry is to develop a closer walk with the Lord through prayer, fasting, spending quality time in His word, and fellowshipping with like-minded believers. Most of us spend time with people who are at our same spiritual level, but you should also strive to spend time with people who are at the level you are striving to achieve.
And remember when you pray, don’t just give the Lord a To-Do list. Devote some time away from distractions and go into a prayer conversation instead of a monologue. Allow the Lord to speak to you. It will take time at first because your mind has to be cleared of all the distractions that come when you are trying to pray, but the more you do it the easier it will become.
Another mistake we make is thinking that “walking in our ministry” means to get to a very deep and mystical place that is impossible to achieve. When you pray, ask the Lord what you can do that day to help someone draw closer to Christ. The Lord may tell you to do something very simple like send an encouraging text, keep someone in your mind to pray for throughout the day, or even share a smile with a stranger. When you add all these little things day by day, you are walking in your ministry.
When the Lord calls us into what we usually identify as ministry (i.e. preacher or missionary), you are usually already doing the work that is required for that particular ministry position. These are usually the callings we glorify in the church, but they are not for everyone and we should not belittle all the other important things God calls us to do. For example, the ministry of helps – which should be most abundant – is essential to a healthy ministry.