“It is God Himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago He planned that we should spend these lives in helping others.” (Ephesians 2:10, TLB)
God put you on earth to make a contribution — and He’s calling you to a service far beyond anything you could ever imagine. You weren’t created just to consume resources — to eat, breathe, and take up space. You were created to add to the world around you, not just to take from it. God wants you to give something back — to help other people. God designed you to make a difference with your life.
The Living Bible paraphrase says, “It is God Himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago He planned that we should spend these lives in helping others” (Ephesians 2:10).
Whenever you serve others in any way, you are actually serving God. As Colossians 3:23-24 says, “Do your work willingly, as though you were serving the Lord Himself, and not just your earthly master. In fact, the Lord Christ is the one you are really serving, and you know He will reward you” (CEV).
In one of His parables, Jesus said, “The king will answer, ‘Whenever you did it for any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for me’” (Matthew 25:40, CEV). And the apostle Paul shared the same message: “Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people” (Ephesians 6:7, NLT).
God said it this way to the prophet Jeremiah in the Old Testament: “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 that He expects every member of His family to minister. In the Bible, the words servant and minister are synonyms; service and ministry are synonyms too. If you are a Christian, you are a minister. And when you’re serving, you’re ministering.
Have you ever wondered why God didn’t just immediately take you to heaven the moment you accepted His grace? Why does He leave His children in a fallen world? He leaves you here to fulfill His purposes.
Once you are saved, God wants you to be part of making His goals a reality here on earth. That means God has a ministry for you in His church and a mission for you in the world!
Ponderings:
- How much of your life is spent taking rather than giving — focusing on what you can get instead of what you can contribute? If that’s out of balance, how can you spend more of your time adding to life rather than taking from it?
- What do you think God’s ministry for you in the church is? What step can you take to pursue that ministry this week?
- What do you think God’s mission for you in the world is? What step can you take to pursue that mission this week?
Giving money is not the first step. Praying for clarity, purpose, and asking how I can be a part of the big picture is.
Prayer
Lord, I thank You for the many blessings You have given me and the opportunities to use them for Your kingdom. Help me see the chances around me, and guide me to make those decisions pleasing in Your sight.
Stay encouraged!
Pastor Mike
