Job or Ministry?

Good morning everyone,

My dear friend, Karen, sent me the "Job or Ministry" food-for-thought item below and it has had me chewing this morning.  Each comparison has subtleties that we should pray about and ponder.

1. In many churches (mine, quite often) there are positions that end up being filled because no one else was willing or available to do the work.
2. Sometimes the pressure of a position (and the criticism that may go along with it) is too much for an individual to handle.
3. Sometimes you do have to prioritize and let some of your volunteer positions be filled by someone else. If you are stretched too thin by all the "to dos" in your life, then you are doing a disservice to your family, your congregation and your relationship with the Lord.
4. If you can't see that what you are doing is helping or providing a service to your congregation then it causes you to wonder why you're doing it.

Those are my thoughts to the first 4 "ifs." The act of ministering to your church isn't as cut and dried as it is written below. There are extenuating circumstances and "real life" that interferes in those "ifs."

However...

The 5th "if" changes everything.  It (for me) should be the answering "if" to all of the examples and any other "if" of ministering that comes along. 

Listen to the Lord!

Is He saying it needs to be done?

Then do it!

Dear Lord - I pray that I will always seek your guidance when considering a ministry opportunity. Although my enthusiastic nature rarely influences me to say "no" to a ministry opportunity, there are times when the discomfort of the situation or lack of "pizazz" of the ministry might dim my enthusiasm for saying "yes." Please help me to have your heart in all these situations. Help me to have your wisdom in discerning whether the opportunities I see available are there for me or if I should leave them available for the person you have already chosen for that ministry.  And, Lord, I pray from the bottom of my heart, that you will speak loudly and clearly to your children in Christ with your will for their lives...and your enthusiasm for the ministries that you have chosen for them!  Your joy and your love for us turns all the "jobs" we do into "ministries." Thank you for the opportunity to carry out your will every day...and for the love that fills our hearts to overflowing! I love you and your children so very much! Amen.

Blessings and peace,

Leah

Job or Ministry?

Some people have a job in the church.  Others get involved in ministry.

What’s the difference?

If you do it just because no one else will…it’s a job.

If you do it to serve God…it’s a ministry!

If you quit because someone criticized you…it’s a job.

If you kept on service in spite of criticism…it’s a ministry!

If you do it only so long as it doesn’t interfere with other things…it’s a job.

If you stay with it, even if it means letting other things go…it’s a ministry!

If you quit because no one ever praised or thanked you…it’s a job.

If you stay even though no one notices your efforts…it’s a ministry!

If you do it because someone else said it needs to be done…it’s a job.

If you do it because you sensed God saying it needs to be done…it’s a ministry!

It’s hard to get excited about a job.

It’s almost impossible not to get excited about a ministry!

An average church is filled with people doing jobs.

A great and growing church is filled with people involved in ministry!