What Does The Bible Say About Christians Serving In Ministry?

[stextbox id=”custom”]This is the 9th article in the “What does the Bible say about” series. Here’s the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th.[/stextbox]

When a man or woman is saved, sanctified, repentant, thankful and prayerful, the obvious result is that such a person will be faithfully serving others in ministry. Period, and without question!

Show me a Christian not involved in ministry and we’ll both be staring at someone depressed spiritually. There are no lone-ranger Christians in your local assembly. Every one of God’s children is to be actively involved in ministering to the needs of others around them. Such is the will of God for you and your local church.

When teaching on spiritual gifts and how they’re to be used in serving others, the apostle Paul wrote about how a renewed mind—not conformed to the world’s desires—leads to the proving of God’s will in a person’s life. He wrote,

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2; underline mine).

To be conformed to the world is to practice sinful things. To renew your mind is the sanctifying transformation that proves God’s will. And God says that this is both acceptable and perfect in His sight.

There was a time when the apostle Paul was warned about going back to Jerusalem to do ministry because it would lead to his imprisonment. Yet Paul would not be persuaded to do anything other than proclaim the gospel to the city of Jerusalem. When those who were with Paul knew that his mind was set,

“since he would not be persuaded, we [they] fell silent, remarking, “The will of the Lord be done!” (Acts 21:14; underline mine).

Maybe today you’re wondering about this very issue. Perhaps you’ve been praying about what ministry to embark upon, where to serve geographically, or who exactly to serve. Or maybe you have been serving faithfully in a particular ministry, but you believe the Lord is now leading you to minister somewhere else and in some other capacity. My advice to you would be to just start moving. Yes, get moving! The Lord will direct your steps.

If God closes the door in one area of your life, He’ll open a window somewhere else. God wants you ministering to people, for that’s precisely why He empowered you with supernatural spiritual gifts. He wants you successful in ministry.

Paul and his traveling missionary companions once encountered similar challenges when trying to figure out God’s will. They had prayed about and planned to go one place to share the gospel and plant some churches, but one thing after another prevented them from getting there.

“They passed through Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them; and passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them (Acts 16:6-10).

Such is the mind of the Lord. God works in both strange and mysterious ways. I’m not saying God will grant you in a vision in the middle of night, but I do know that when you set out to minister to others for the glory of God, He will most certainly direct your steps.

Ministry is God’s plan. It is His will for your life today.

QUESTION: Have you been thinking about serving the Lord, and others around you, in a particular ministry? If yes, tell us all about it in the comments section below.

[stextbox id=”custom”]This article is from the knowing “God’s Will For Your Life” series. Here’s the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th from the series.[/stextbox]

*Image credit: Daniel R (Creation Swap)