Olya Ignatenkova
October 25, 2009

Ministry... what is it? Preaching Gospel is a ministry, being a pastor is a ministry, going somewhere as a missioner is a ministry, helping ill children is a ministry, singing in a choir, teaching children at Sunday School are ministries. But is it the only way for being a minister? What shall those who cannot preach, teach or sing do? Can those who spend whole days at work be ministers? Or those who are ill? Or too young for going somewhere? Or those, who are too shy? Can they be ministers? I will say - YES!!! they can serve God, they can be ministers. I am sure that each of us can be a minister. And I would like to discuss ministry of the whole life, or, it will be more correct - life as a ministry.

I think that there are 2 kinds of ministry:

-the first one is open, public, visible. It can be preaching, teaching, missionary trips, singing in a choir and a lot of others.

- but there is one more type of ministry, invisible, silent, individual, but not less important.

The second type of ministry is our behavior, our life, everything what we do, say, all our actions and words. How can it be a ministry? Easily! Our behavior can be the best sermon for those, who have connections with us, our neighbors, school-mates, friends, people, we work with, for everybody who sees us.

We can tell about God without saying a word about Him. Let's take a drug-addict for example. When we show to our children to him we say: " Look, it is a drug-addict, he behaves in such a way, because he has taken drugs, drugs has made him that what he is. So, drug is bad". And the same is about a Christian. People can point at us, and say. You see, he behaves so, because he is a Christian, because God is in him.

So, God is... What will they say about God, looking at us, how will they think about God? What does our behavior say about our God, who is in us? Can people say, that God, we believe in is God of love and kindness? or will they think Him to be cruel and selfish? What do we preach through our lives? Are we an example to follow?

Our responsibility, honesty, kindness, love is a wonderful sermon. People will notice it. One my friend, who was a sportsman, wrestler. This kind of sport, wrestling, is not the softest one. And sportsmen behave very rude and sometimes cruel. My friend became a Christian when he was a student of the Sport Academy. He did not say to anybody, that he has become a Christian. But in some period of time, people began to ask, what has happened to him, because he has changed, his behavior has changed. They came to him and asked, what has happened to you? You have become better! And it was quite easy for him to tell that he had become a Christian, and it was God, who changed him. And in future, when his fellow-students saw his behavior they knew that it was a behavior of God's man.

So, it is a big responsibility to be a Christian, because our actions are a preaching of God. People learn about God looking at us? Isn't it important? It is important!!! It is very important and it is our ministry- to show God through our life. A good slogan, which helps us is written in the Bible, Colossians 3:23 "Whatever you task, put yourselves into it, as done for the Lord and not for your masters". doing everything as for God we serve Him.

And if there are cases, when we do not know how to act, there is a good reminding. think, WHAT WOULD JESUS DO? and act in the same way! Preach through your behavior, showing an example to follow, example of God's life.

And one more point, I would like to stop at, is such kind of ministry as any good deal, any kind action. In Luke 21:1-4 we can read about a poor widow, who had nothing to give, but she gave her last 2 coins. And I love the reaction of Jesus, who did not say, that it was useless or unimportant, he pointed at her, as at that, who did more that any other. Because for God there are no unimportant ministries, no unimportant good deeds. He looks at the heart.

My children in the orphanages asked me, how can they serve, they wanted to do something for God, to be some kind of ministers. And I read them this story of a poor widow. But they said that they had no even two coins, they had nothing. I asked them to raise their hands. You have hands, you have 2 hands. So you can hug somebody, when he is sad, you can shake a hand of that who think that nobody needs him, you can help somebody even if you are small. You have tongues, so you can say some kinds words to those, who are insulted or in bad spirits. You have lips, they can smile, and such a simple thing as a smile can help a person, can be your ministry, because if you smile at those who thinks himself to be lonely, you show, that he is not lonely, just a smile can raise somebody's mood. And it is a ministry! You have eyes, and they can cry. Crying can be a ministry, when you cry with one who has some sorrow and needs somebody to cry with, your eyes can shine, and this kind shining can help those, who are sad.

All these things, which seem to be small and unimportant ARE important, are different kinds of ministry. And every-every good deed is serving God through serving people. We can be a minister without spending a lot of money and without going some far away country, we can be a minister, just giving those who need it a plain smile.

Of course I do not say that we are to give up all big projects and programs. But I want to say, that the whole life of a Christian is a ministry, we can be ministers through our behavior, showing an example, we can be ministers through such small but important good deals.

I think that in each kind of ministry, one of the very important things is the reason of doing it. Do you want to show off? Or show God, look, I am serving you? Or maybe it was somebody else, who made you? Or was it your real, great wish?

Let's find an answer in the Bible. 1 Peter 5:2. When Peter applies to pastors, ministers, he says "not under compulsion but willingly, as God would have you do it - not for sordid gain but eagerly". I think that 2 main words here are "willingly" and "eagerly". God does not need our favor or showing off. He wants us to serve Him and people willingly and eagerly. Those ministries which we do without wish are not ministries, they are labor for people maybe but not ministry for God.

And one of the very important ministries, I have not yet said - is a prayer. A prayer can make miracles, a prayer can change people' s lives, a prayer is a ministry. Prayer is one of the most important part of all missionary trips, programs, worships. We begin everything with a prayer of request to help and bless and finish everything with a prayer of thank. And prayer is available for everybody, even if you are ill and at home, you can pray for other ministries, if you are too young and do not go to the missionary trip, but you want to take  a part in it - prayer is your ministry, if you are busy at work and do not have enough time for big programs at church, prayer is your ministry.

Of course, i do not ask you give up all the ministries and do not do anything except praying. But I think that we shall understand, that we can be ministers, even we have no time to do anything, because we can always find some time for praying.

So, dear ministers. Remember, that our life can be a ministry. We can preach aloud, telling people about God's love, we can preach silently, through our behavior, we can take a part in different programs, we can pray for those programs, we can help somebody, giving some food, clothes, we can help somebody, giving a smile or shaking a hand.

We serve God if everyday we do things as not for people, but as for the Lord. God bless you in all your important and valuable ministries! Amen.

С уважением, Ольга

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