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

Broken, but Whole

So many of us in this world are broken in some ways. Some of us are very broken--as a matter of fact, I would say we are more than just broken--we are shattered. Life has been hard on us and we have weathered some really tough times. Some of us are a little broken, with a chip here or there, but not much more than that. After all, our lives have been pretty good to us. Some of us are not shattered, but we are more than just chipped. Life has been hard, but not unbearable. We have experienced heartache, yet have still come out of it, more damaged, but still intact. Cracked, chipped, broken and shattered. What is God supposed to do with all of those pieces? Can he really put us back together again? If he does, are we ever really the same? I guess that depends on what you believe God can really do. Do you really believe he can make all things new or do you think you will just end up looking like the cup in the ...

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...

Following the rules....or not?

I'm a rules girl. Well, mostly. Something in my personality has always pushed me to follow the rules. If the teacher said do it this way or that, I did. No questions asked. I'm the annoying driver who comes to a complete stop at the stop signs and uses my turn signal, sometimes even when pulling into my own driveway! I've been teased about this by own family and so I have made a conscious effort to pull into the driveway without using my turn signal. Yep--I actually have to concentrate harder to NOT use my turn signal than to use it. I know God has a huge sense of humor though, because he brought a maverick into my life and then decided I was to marry him. David thinks rules are simply guidelines. You can imagine the drama that has ensued in our marriage with the "rules" girl and the "I make my own rules" boy! Something interesting has happened in our 24 1/2 years of marriage though. This maverick has rubbe...

Carrie's Corner

Search This Blog