REFLECTIONS

June 12th, 2016

so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.

Romans 12:5-6

Commissioned Ministries

Faith stood before the congregation one Sunday morning to be commissioned as a missionary to a foreign land. Many of us laid hands on her and prayed for her health, safety, and success in her calling. But my mind dwelled on the specific ministry she responded to.

Hers is unlike most callings, yet it is as important to the cause of Christ as the traditional ones. Faith is a math teacher, and her mission in the foreign land is to teach the children of other missionaries. Her service places her in the background, yet her role is one of equal importance. She serves children who otherwise might not have the quality education parents desire for their children. A support service like Faith’s exemplifies one of the many secondary roles required to deliver the message of Jesus Christ to the world. And the jobs aren’t only needed in distant lands.

The Gospel must be told and retold in many foreign lands, but it also must be told in our own communities, our own neighborhoods, and in our own homes. And we are all asked to be a part of it.

One morning a friend posed the question, “How many ministers should we have in our church?” Then as quickly as he asked it, he provided his own answer, “Something like 3,000 I believe” referencing our own church community. We all have commissioned ministries even if it seems unclear how our everyday jobs can be a service to God.

But for Faith, her ministry is clear. She is a math teacher. The only difference between Faith and another math teacher, or bus driver, or custodian, or nurse, is the place she is called to be. Each of us is a part of the body of Christ. You and I may not all feel called to be frontline messengers of the Gospel; but we still have commissioned ministries. If we don’t see ourselves as the messengers, then in some way think of how the work we do supports those who are.

No matter what our jobs may be or where we perform them, our work can be a commissioned ministry in God’s kingdom. And no matter what else we may do, we can always allow the love of Christ to shine through our lives.

You are the light of the world,

Richard +

www.reflectingthesavior.org.


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