Its (still!) not about me...

In a recent devotional I read from Pastor Rick Warren, I was once again reminded that in this life, its not about me.  Sigh. But… but— I want “it” to be about me, sometimes!  Don’t we all wish for that? C’mon, in your heart of hearts, sometimes you wanna be the center of your world. The reason someone else exists. A person someone else simply couldn't live without!  We all do.  And for me, that means that people I care about appreciate what I do, make an effort to spend time with me, look to me for friendship, write me nice notes, mop the kitchen floor and battle my dust bunnies for me, gratis,  and, ok, maybe give me a nice gift now and then. Is that so much to ask?   Oh how much I enjoy when life revolves around me!  Unfortunately, for most of us, its not going to happen because God has a better plan.

Pastor Rick Warren put it this way, “God calls you to a service far beyond anything you could ever imagine. You were put on earth to make a contribution.  You weren't created just to consume resources - to eat, breath, and take up space. God designed you to make a difference with your life.  You were created to add to life on earth, not just take from it. God wants you to give something back.

The Bible says, ‘God has created us for a life of good deeds, which he has already prepared for us to do.’   (Ephesians 2:10b, TEV) These ‘good deeds’ are your service to the world. Whenever you serve others in any way, you are actually serving God and fulfilling one of your purposes (Colossians 3:23-24; Matthew 25:34-45; Ephesians 6:7).

What God told Jeremiah is also true for you: ‘Before I made you in your mother's womb, I chose you. Before you were born, I set you apart for a special work.’(Jeremiah 1:5, NCV)

When most people think of this 'special work,' they think of pastors, priests, and professional clergy, but God says every member of his family is to minister. In the Bible, the words servant and minister are synonyms, as are service and ministry. If you are a Christian, you are a minister, and when you're serving, you're ministering.”

Whew!  What do you think of that?  Because I grew up in a Catholic church, it took me a few years to grasp that whole concept of me as a minister of the gospel. After all, I didn't go to school to get my degree in Bible, and I’m not ordained. I didn't wear a funny little tab collar, or have a plate on my door with a title under my name.  Some would even suggest that since I am not a man, I can’t possibly be a minister! 

Well It took me time to “unhitch” my brain from the concept of priesthood being a step above me as I had been trained to believe. But the fact is, nobody is greater than God, and nobody is less than I am in His eyes.  What a marvelous thing! God says I am his servant and minister. And he says you are too.

Pastor Warren continued, “Have you ever wondered why God doesn't just immediately take us to heaven the moment we accept his grace? Why does he leave us in a fallen world? He leaves us here to fulfill his purposes. Once you are saved, God intends to use you for his goals. God has a ministry for you in his church and a mission for you in the world.”

Wow, Rick makes a great point!  I have wondered why God didn't just take us to heaven, why mess around with all this nasty stuff on earth, Lord?  But he has a plan for me. And that plan includes some pain, and, hey, even some presents!  And as we learn to minister, we understand a little better what our pastoral staff does on a larger scale every day.

Since October is Pastor Appreciation Month, take some time to consider how you can show appreciation to the pastoral staff. But also, consider how you can bless their socks off by digging in and finding your place in ministry— your very own pastorate! Its here, in our community through things like DMC small groups, Children’s ministry,  FLOOD Bakersfield, Wednesday night diner and hospitality team, church office volunteering and youth group support team members, to name a few. I believe that in God’s family, not one of us should simply sit in church on Sunday and fail to serve the community. If all do a little, nobody has to do a lot!  And that equates to being a blessing, and being blessed as God showers you with (here’s that part I like again!) his PRESENCE and his PRESENTS! 

What about you?  Is God nudging you to a new level of ministry, to be his hands and feet in the church or in the community? Step out and discover your calling!