As Christians, we believe that we are challenged to use our unique gifts to give, teach, support and love for a lifetime; this is our crucible, where meaning and action intersect, and reveal part of God’s divine plan. The grace-filled outcome of this intersection and the changes made in people’s lives is what we call ministry.
Ministry is a call on our lives, a duty that we pledge and practice love, giving and compassion—through our hands, our heads and our hearts – to our neighbors and those less fortunate than ourselves, helping many to grow as Christians so they too can help change lives. We are all ministers, life changers, and therefore challenged to give back for all of our years. It is important we consider some basic tenets about ministry and what actually constitutes a call to ministry.
What is ministry?
An easy yet insightful way to think about it is: Ministry is changing lives.
Yes, if you think about it, it’s truly that simple. And because we are dealing with people, it is also that complicated.
We have both a common call to ministry that is our responsibility as Christians, and then each of us has a personal call to ministry, on that only we can define, express and act upon. Our ministry is at once extrinsic and intrinsic, or maybe it’s better to say that there are societal rewards, infer fulfillment, and eternal values as part of it.
Ministers come in all shapes and sizes. Most of us may think first of pastors, preachers and priests, or maybe the lay ministers that help guide us with Sunday service. But the reality is that ministry is the calling of every Christian – every human being really—who believes that meaning is derived from our spiritual relationships, rewarding work, the love of our families, and serving our neighbors, friends and the people around us.
Because all of our education and experience composes the University of life, God’s preparation for our future “ministry”. An example is my personal preparation to discover, uncover, and share the new definition of retirement, Future Funded Ministry. It has been a multi-year journey to grasp the depth of meaning and value of this Bible based concept.
Ministry means changing lives and providing for those who cannot provide for themselves, or it means making it possible for others to do these great acts of love and kindness. We are to reflect Jesus to our world and we are uniquely equipped for that service.
I encourage you to head over to www.futurefundedministry.com and download a free copy of my newest eBook: Live with Meaning: Understanding the Power of Future- Funded Ministry. The book will challenge the way you view retirement and give insight into why it’s important to plan for the years ahead where the paycheck stops but the call to ministry continues.
Discovering our future together,
Bruce
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