Your Ministry Is Bigger Than What You Accomplish

What better kind of procrastination is there than prayer? I'm supposed to be working on my new romance novel right now, but before I got started, I decided to journal. And for me, journaling often leads to prayer. Today's topics? Marriage and ministry. These are the two topics I pray about often because I'm passionate about preparing for both. I want God to lead me in both areas. But today I wondered, have I actually asked God how He wants to use me for His kingdom?

I know what my gifts are: writing, speaking, singing, authenticity that helps me connect with people, cooking and baking, hosting, and loving. And I've dreamed up many micro-ministries over the last few months that employ these gifts, like baking for friends and neighbors as an act of love and hosting a ladies prayer group. These are small additions to the larger ministry I feel God calling me to which is using my gift of writing to spread truth, hope, and love. And I can see doors that those written words will open--speaking opportunities, expanded platforms that help me reach more people on behalf of the kingdom. But...

As my brain is sorting through all the options and trying to connect the dots--from personal to professional ministry--I was reminded of a verse I read just yesterday.

"You are the light of the world...let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:14+16

And that's when it hit me. Your ministry is bigger than what you accomplish.

Before we go any further, let's dissect the word ministry. Many people associate this term only with organized churches, but the actual definition of the word is "an act of service or a specific area in religion or government." Every believer has the call to ministry, because every believer has the call to serve the kingdom. And every believer is equipped in specific and unique ways to do just that.

"O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures." Psalm 104:24

The Lord has crafted each of us and given each of us unique personalities and gifts that allow us to step into different dark corners of the world and be the light in each one. Our gifts may point us in a particular ministry direction whether that is speaking, writing, creating music, crafting works with our hands, teaching, coaching, being in healthcare or law enforcement. But, despite where our gifts lead us, our greatest ministry will always be in being the light of the world, in being the smile or hug or prayer that person needed.

Jobs, even careers and passions, have a clock. We clock-in and we clock-out. But we never clock-out of kingdom work. We never clock-out of being the light. It's the little things we do each day, the little acts of love we offer to all who we encounter that is our greatest ministry. And so, I encourage you and myself to focus not only on what we can accomplish for the kingdom but who we are as we accomplish.