In our Sunday sermon today, our pastor
encouraged us to consider what our life ministry is. God has instilled in each
of us talents, desires and opportunities if only we would use them. There is a
time in all our lives for praying and meditating and waiting upon God and there
are also times when we are to act upon our passions as he leads us in areas of
ministry.
In the parable of the talents described in
Matthew 25-30 a wealthy landowner goes on a journey and before setting out
calls his three servants to him. He gives them each an amount of money – to one
five talents (a talent being a sum equal to about five years wages for a
labourer); to the second two talents, and to the third one talent. The
differing amounts, the Bible tells us are indicative of the trust that the
master had in each servant’s ability. He goes away for a long time, and on his
return calls his servants to account for their use of his money. The servant
who was given five talents and the one given two talents have both doubled
these amounts and are congratulated. The one given one talent, however, in fear
of his master’s temperament and business acumen, has done nothing other than
hide the one talent given to him in the ground. His master berates him for not
even putting the money in the bank to gain interest and casts him away.
We are saved by grace, not works, but this
parable demonstrates that God expects us to use what He has so generously given
us. In fact, when you are a child of God, it’s a joy, not a chore, to do so in
order to please him. Some of us remember the work we put in as a child to make
something special for Mum or Dad such as a card or gift, and the joy with which
they received it.
How do we define our areas of ministry? Our
pastor posed the question “What makes you angry?” In his case it was cruelty. For
some it may be a certain type of injustice. Others may hate poverty or waste.
For some it may be the spread of false religions or doctrine. When we object
strongly to something it can be a call to action.
Conversely, what gladdens your heart? Are
you inspired by the culture of a particular country? Do you feel moved by
photographs of people in third world countries receiving sight through cataract
surgery? Do you enjoy reading bible stories to young children?
What gifts and talents has God given you?
In His wisdom He has equipped His people with a plethora of amazing gifts and
talents- creative skills, musicianship, languages, business and administrative
skills, financial skills, servanthood, people skills, leadership, technical and
trade skills, medical and scientific abilities, acuity in the spoken and
written word. Some people use God’s provision to just give and give. Some
people are dedicated prayer warriors and intercessors. I’m sure there are many
other areas that I’ve not considered.
What kind of personality traits can you use
to serve God? Again, these differ widely between individuals? Are you one who
exhorts or encourages others? Are you caring in times of crisis? Are you a
patient listener? Are you a dynamic leader of teams or do you prefer working
alone?
Prayer must precede anything in the
Christian life and it’s always good to ask God to reveal to you more and more
the areas in your life in which He wants you to devote your talents. His Holy
Spirit will be your guide. Not everyone is destined for ministry in a church
setting. Many Christians work in the secular realm, providing finances for
their church or missions. Every Christian is involved in ministry, however,
impacting those around them for God.
Many churches conduct courses which help
believers to discover and use their spiritual gifts and passions and these can
be a useful exercise to assist in developing a ministry area. There are also
some online tests which can identify spiritual gifts. Some of these require
submitting personal details. Here are a few resources that you might like to
look at online
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