Fulfilling your ministry

This is something I have been pondering for a bit. I confess that I don't believe I'm doing a very good job of fulfilling my ministry. I've let too many things get in the way. Here are some of my issues:

1). What other people think of me
2). I'm not qualified
3). The opportunity hasn't presented itself
4). The timing is all wrong
5). I'm so busy, busy, busy.....
6). My family has needs

I could list other things, but you get the idea. Do you resonate with any of those "reasons"? I thought so. Usually when I realize I'm struggling with something, I find I'm not alone. Let's get honest here: These are just excuses. Yeah--you heard me--EXCUSES! When I exchange the word reason for excuse, then I start to sound a bit whiny and my justification starts melting away.

Look at what 2 Timothy 4:2-5 says: "Proclaim the message; persist in it whether convenient or not; rebuke, correct and encourage with great patience and teaching. For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear something new. They will turn away from hearing the truth and will turn aside to myths. but as for you, be serious about everything, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry."

Ouch! Whether convenient or not? Yikes. Endure hardship? Really? Fulfill my ministry? Are you sure? But loving Jesus and following him IS NOT convenient, nor does it make our lives pain free, yet it is so vital and so important! We live in a world that needs HIM and needs to know and understand that this relationship is vital in finding true peace, fulfillment, contentment and most importantly--eternal life!

Do you really want to see your loved ones go on without him? How about your friends, your neighbors, your co-workers? You can't make anyone love him or follow him, but you can sure introduce them to what life is like with him....they already know what life is like without him. Remember this the next time you want to say something to someone, but you hesitate:

"The Lord does not delay his promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9 (HCSB)

Remember He has been patient with you....He waited for you. Now go!

Comments

And yet...

I tend to avoid political rhetoric on any social media forum, but I am compelled to write a few brief thoughts and I hope you will really listen. As a life-long American, I grew up saluting the American flag, singing the National Anthem with pride and held dear in my heart all things patriotic and noble. I was taught to respect the office of President, regardless of who held the office. I was taught that voting was not only my civic duty, but that giving up my right to vote was paramount to spitting on the graves of the soldiers who had died to preserve my right to vote, my right to speak freely, and my right to worship as I chose. Honestly, not much of that has changed in my heart, but like many of you, my heart is wearied this season. Hopelessness? Yes. Fear? Yes. Anxiety over the future of our country? Yes. Honestly, regardless of which side of the political fence you fall on, these thoughts seem to be a common theme. Fear is the biggest one I see storming most of the ...

Throwing a Tantrum

You might be assuming by the title of this blog that I will be talking about 2 and 3 years old kids, but I'm not. I'm talking about me. Yep. You got that right. Me. I threw a pretty good tantrum a couple of weeks ago. I was trying to pack up to leave for a weekend away and had gone to the laundry room to throw in a quick load of clothes I needed for the trip. When I opened the washer, it was full of clothes. I opened the dryer, which was also full of clothes. I then looked at the laundry basket and someone had taken MY clothes out of the dryer and thrown them in the laundry basket without me knowing it. The clothes had not only been sitting there wadded up in the basket, but our lovely cat had decided that a basket full of clean clothes was the perfect place to nap. While this is not the first time for this kind of incident in our home, I decided that day that it was to be the last time it would ever happen. I started yelling...

Unexpected blessings

I was inspired! All of the kids and their dates were going to be home Sunday. It's been a long summer and we haven't had too many family dinners where everyone was in attendance, so I decided to go all out. I set about on Saturday to prepare the meal for Sunday. I cooked up potatoes for my potato casserole, made dessert, set the table and made it pretty. I did all of the work I could so that Sunday's meal would come together quickly when we got home from church. I made sure the table was properly set and looked nice, as well getting the house presentable for company. We all sat down to enjoy that lovely meal and the conversation and laughter that is a common theme for our family dinners. It was nice. It was homey. It was comfortable. But then.... As soon as dessert was over, off everyone went in their own direction. The younger boys headed out to the kitchen to get the dishes done and clean it up, my husband headed off to work with a ministry he is involved in, m...

Carrie's Corner

Search This Blog