Ministry Mindset

Ministry MindsetMIN'ISTRY, n. The office, duties or functions of a subordinate agent of any kind.MIN'ISTER, n. [L.]1. Properly, a chief servant; hence, an agent appointed to transact or manage business under the authority of another; in which sense, it is a word of very extensive application.Do not let the title of this blog fool you, I am not writing this primarily to the five fold, rather to the children of God as it relates to us all.RelationshipWhat an awesome and exciting time to be a part of the body of Christ. Amidst all the turmoil and economic unrest in the world, this is our time to shine.For those of us who have come into the knowledge of what a relationship with God is really about, we have learned to rest in Him. We have encountered the tough times, and hard knocks to emerge on the other side of "through". You may ask, what is on the other side of "through"? Rest in God.It is very important to understand exactly what our relationship to God is if we are to find rest in Him. There are many levels to our relative standing in God.Relationship as it relates to God the Father1. That of Creator and creation. It was in the mind of God that you were first formed. He simply used your father's seed and your mother's egg and womb to bring you forth. You were never an accident, for you were formed by the thoughts of God and He neither makes mistakes nor creates accidents.2. That of Judge and defendant. God is the ultimate judge of right and wrong. Understanding there are no wrongs in Him, He is the only one to establish and impose judgment over us. Again, we are His creation, His workmanship; therefore it is His call as to whether or not we are performing according to His creative purpose.3. That of Friend. A friend is someone attached to another by affection. When we begin to acknowledge the love God has for us and reciprocate that love we move into the relationship of a friend of God.4. That of Father and child. When we begin to reverence God and respect His wisdom we develop the relationship of being His child. God is truly the creator of all but not the Father of all.Relationship as it relates to God the Son1. That of Savior. When we recognize that our very being is that of a sinful nature, we also have to see that we are powerless to change our nature on our own. It is then we realize the need for a savoir; Jesus the Christ, the Redeemer, who has opened the way to everlasting salvation by his obedience and death, is that savior.2. That of Advocate. It is Christ who stands up in our defense when the accuser hurls accusation about us. Because His blood has been shed for us and in place of our own, He is our covering in the court of justice declaring us exonerated of all charges.3. That of Brother. Once we reverence God the Father as Father, we become the sibling of Christ. He is our elder brother and as such is our example of the relationship between Father and son as well as our place in this world.4. That of Husband (Lord). As we grow in intimate relationship with Jesus, we are being prepared for our ultimate relationship with Him as His bride. This level of intimacy also establishes Him as Lord of our lives.Relationship as it relates to God the Holy Spirit1. That of Revealer. It is through the Holy Spirit that God is first revealed to us in His deity. Remember you first have to believe that God is before any relationship can take place. It is through the Holy Spirit that this revelation takes place.2. That of Teacher. It is the Holy Spirit who comes along side of you to teach you spiritual truths. He reveals then makes the revelations understandable and applicable.3. That of Comforter. The Holy Spirit wraps Himself around your spirit to strengthen you and give you peace in the midst of trouble.4. That of Guide. He is the lamp that lights your way along the path God has chosen for you. It is the prompting of the Holy Spirit that says "not this way, there is a better and more excellent way, walk there in".If you notice, there is a pattern in every relationship we have with the Triune God. It is that of precedence. God holds the place of preeminence and we hold the place of submissiveness.Without acknowledging God's superiority over us, it is impossible to rest in Him. How would one find rest in something or someone with no greater ability than one holds. If I could fix all my own problems then there would be no need for God in my life. However, because I am well aware of my inabilities, I take rest and refuge in my God who is not only able and capable of seeing me through troubled times but His desire is that I rely on Him.Because He is my source of strength and peace, I am not moved by all the messages of doom that are being belted out all around me. As I said before, this is an awesome time to be a part of the body of Christ.As good and safe as resting in God is that is not the place He called us to just so we can sit back and look at this troubled world and think "to bad for them". They are just as important to God as we are; therefore, God has given us this peace that we may share its source with others.MinistryAs the title suggest, we all need to develop a "Ministry Mindset". What do I mean by "Ministry Mindset"? Glad you asked.I started this writing with two definitions, ministry and minister. The reason for this is that we who are a part of the "Body of Christ" have all been called as Ministers with a specific Ministry.As a reminder, let's look at the definition of ministry:MIN'ISTRY, n. The office, duties or functions of a subordinate agent of any kind.As children of God, we are subordinate agents of the God kind. We have been entrusted with the ability and power to act on behalf of God by virtue of our relationship with Him.He has revealed Himself as our provider in the time of need; our sustainer when we falter; our comforter when we grieve; our healer in sickness and our peace in turmoil. In essence, He is our all and all and it is our duty to minister these truths to others.We have been commissioned to give encouragement to all we encounter. Sometimes a mere smile or hug will suffice, other times the Holy Spirit will give a word. At all times we should be able to share a personal testimony to the goodness of God. It is our duty and function as a child of God.This has nothing to do with being called to the five fold, we have all been given the ministry of reconciliation.II Corinthians 5:17-19 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.By sharing the goodness of God with this desperate, hurting world we help reconcile God's creation back to Him. Never be afraid of sharing what God has done for you. I am not talking about sitting in judgment over someone else's lifestyle or trying to force your values on someone. I am not even talking about getting into a debate about Christianity as a religion.I am simply saying share the source of your peace and joy with another. This is not about religion this is about relationship. The word of God states "with loving kindness have I drawn thee". (Jeremiah 31:3) It is the loving kindness expressed toward you that God will use to open the eyes of others to the loving kindness He wants to bless them with.We must shift our mindset from religion to relationship. Jesus Christ did not step out of heaven to be spat upon, ridiculed, beaten and killed to start another religion. He came that we might be in relationship with the Father. Take a look at the prayer Jesus prayed for us before His departure:John 17:20-23 "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me."The relationship Christ shared with the Father is that of oneness and it is that same type of relationship They share with us.When you truly love someone, you want the whole world to know. In fact, you can't keep it a secret. As soon as that person comes in your presence your whole demeanor changes; there is a glow about you, and you can't wait to tell someone about the love you have found.This should be our feeling about the relationship we have with God. Sharing that love should be our passion. Have you ever noticed when someone is passionate about a topic of discussion, you can't shut them up. They can go on for hours without even taking a breath and still not weary on the subject.Allow me to bring Revelation 2:4 back to your remembrance: Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. In all that the church in Ephesus was doing right, this was the complaint God had against them. He was no longer their passion.As "Christians" we have become too caught up in religion and have forgot about our relationship with God. The origin of the word religion is to be bound by an oath or vow and because of this things are done in a repetitive manor. Being bound does not allow for the Grace of God which He chose to extend to each of us. His Grace can only be accessed through relationship.Think about the fellowship Christ had with those around Him. Many ridiculed Him because He did not hold to the rigid ways of the Pharisees and Sadducees. They were bound by their interpretation of the law. This caused them to conduct themselves in a pompous self-righteous manner as they twisted the law to suit their needs.Jesus on the other hand fellowshipped with everyone except these "religious" men; He chose to avail Himself to the less than desirable in order to show forth the Grace of God upon His life. He did that through relationship and fellowship with them. Let's follow His example.As a chief servant of the Most High, let's perform our duties and functions by the authority given us through His Love and share His love with others!Be blessed!©Minister Coylette James 2008

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