We hear the word "ministry" used in different ways: a nation might have a "ministry" of defense, a church might have a paid "ministry" leader or "minister," and those of us in church regularly are invited to participate in "ministry" to children, the poor, etc.
Very simply, the word means to "give aid or service."
God calls every believer in Jesus to be involved in ministry: serving others, helping meet their needs, spreading the message of the Bible, etc. In fact, every person is designed to have a unique ministry -- a "service" they offer in service to God that no one else can offer.
Unfortunately, many people think that pastors are paid to do ministry, however, the term "minister" should be applied to the people of the congregation, not just the pastor. The pastor's job is to prepare people to serve, helping them each perform their ministry. The Apostle Paul clarifies this point: "He gave some to be . . . pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry . . ." (Eph. 4:12, NKJV).
"Saints" is referring to believers, members of the congregation, people like you and I.
Why is ministry a good investment of my time?
1. Work for God fulfills life's purpose. "It is God Himself who
has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and
long ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping
others" (Eph. 2:10, LB).
2. Work for God is never in vain. "Always give yourselves fully to
the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is
not in vain" (1 Cor. 15:58b).
3. Work for God makes a difference. "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up" (Galatians 6:9).
Challenge: How could you get involved in work for God? Try a few things. Take action. If you try something and it doesn't "fit" you, don't be discouraged, move on to something else. There is a unique place for you to make a difference, so don't rest until you find it! You might ask a pastor to help you discover and prepare for your ministry (that's his job, after all!).
To Read: 1 Corinthians 12 explains how Christians function as a "body", each part doing a different, yet important, job.
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