01/31/19 CHRISTIAN LIFE AND MINISTRY

01/31/19 CHRISTIAN LIFE AND MINISTRY

Our Life & Ministry overlap, but are different. LIFE is our daily walk with God. MINISTRY is our dedicated work for God.

LET ME EXPLAIN...
This is particularly applicable to our CHRISTIAN Life and our CHRISTIAN Ministry. These two aspects of our lives intersect and make up the person that we are. Yet there is a distinction, if not a division, between the two.

The reason for this article is that people often live as if their ministry is fulfilled because they are living their daily lives in subjection to Christ. They trust and follow Christ in their relationship and responsibilities to family, friends and society, but they don't see their opportunities or obligations to serve God, the church and the watching world through a corporate endeavor with their local church. I think it is a lack of vision and a failure to sense the call of God in their lives that leads them to neglect a ministry through their local church. One should be done, but the other should not be neglected.

I am using the word, "LIFE," in the sense of our walk with God in the various relationships and responsibilities of normal daily activities, such as, family, friends, associates, strangers, habits, vocation, recreation, education, social, private. Anything and everything that is part of our basic human journey, manifesting the fruit of the Spirit.

I am using the word, "MINISTRY," in the sense of our specialized work for God in conjunction with other believers (the church), requiring the gifts of the Spirit.

All Christians are expected to live their daily lives in faith and in subjection to the Lordship of Christ, including men, women, children, singles, marrieds, parents, family, friends, foes, citizens. Though we are each different and have different circumstances, we all have the same responsibilities to serve God as His children. However, we each have our own calling to specific service in the body of Christ, and spiritual gifting to accomplish that special service, to which He assigns us.

We are not two people living two different lives, with two different levels of commitment. Our success in one will be related to our success in the other. For instance, no one should neglect family or personal responsibilities in order to serve God through their local church, but neither should anyone neglect his/her corporate ministry because of their home commitments. No one should lose their family because they are trying to win the world, but neither should the world go to hell because we think that our only world is our family or work life.

Service to God, both personally and corporately, is dynamic, changing, living. Life's obligations are more stable, while ministry obligations are more fluid. Everyone should develop their skills in serving God in life and ministry, and sometimes ministry responsibilities will need to be less demanding because of life responsibilities.

As Christians, we should seek to live every day in faithful service to God. Likewise, we should fulfill our ministries.

Two reasonable goals and questions.
First, Lord what would You have me do with my daily journey; and Lord, what have I done as a person, family member, friend, citizen, that will leave a positive influence.
Second, Lord what would You have me do with my ministry; and Lord, what have I done as a servant in your church that will leave a positive influence.