When God Calls Us, He Calls All of Us!

As He was going along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. Going on a little farther, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who were also in the boat mending the nets. Immediately He called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went away to follow Him.

(Mark 1:16-20 NASB95)

I had a great conversation with a friend of mine the other day about ministry. The question he had for me was, "If I can't preach, then can I still do ministry?" The answer, of course, is yes. It's yes because God calls all of who we are to ministry. Preaching is simply one part of ministry. Teaching is a part of ministry. Encouragement is a part of ministry. Healing is a part of ministry. Leadership is a part of ministry. And the list goes on... If God has called you to ministry, then he has called all of you. I am reminded of the passage above from the gospel of Mark. Which part of those fishermen's lives do you think God did not call to serve him? He called each of them to lay their lives down to follow him. They did not stop being fishermen, but they became fishermen for Him. They began to 'fish for men'.

When we lay down our lives to follow Him, He picks them up and uses every aspect of who we are for the sake of His Kingdom. The question is, will be attentive enough to His voice to minister in the manner He desires, rather than what we think is right? Now before you start making assumptions, let me say that I am constantly evaluating not only what God wants me to do, but how He wants me to do it.

Go ahead, ask God today how He desires to work through you for the glory of His Kingdom. I think you will be surprised to see just how God can work through the words, the actions and small kindnesses. There are times when we are convinced that 'our' ministry can only occur under certain circumstances with specific gifts - it's just not true though. Our God is bigger than that, and when we start to dictate the manner in which ministry can be done, then it is no longer God who is doing it; and the truth is, ministry done in our own power, is not ministry at all. Ministry done in our own power, by our own desires pacifies our own ego and does not build the kingdom. I have had to learn that lesson, and sadly, I've had to repeatedly learn it.

Go ahead, ask God today how he desires to work with you and watch as the Kingdom grows around you...