A Simple Question

I was asked a very simple but meaningful question the other day. From one pastor to another I was essentially asked what kind of ministry I was most passionate about. I was then surprised by the difficulty I experienced in actually phrasing and providing a response to this question. I told this pastor that I don't feel particularly compelled to minister to one particular group of people over any other, and that generally I simply desire to see all kinds of people coming to know Jesus, discovering that God has gifted them to minister, and then seeing them equipped to carry out that ministry, whatever it may be. I suppose those in church circles might call this evangelism and discipleship. While that probably is an accurate description I think something can get lost in the translation of these words as they are so often used. I prefer to think of it as a relationship and a journey. Yeah...that's what gets me excited, helping people truly connect with Jesus and then embrace the journey He has uniquely designed for them which is to be embarked upon right beside Him.

Still, even as this is basically what I was saying I'm afraid it doesn't say a great deal about what actually stirs me. There are a multitude of ways that a person could be used of the Lord to help others come to know Him and then find and embrace their own ministry. Basically, what I said is that I think the Great Commission (basically..."Go to everyone and help them come to know and love God and others") Jesus gave to all believers is good and I agree with it. I might as well have grunted like a caveman uttering God good...people need God. That is to say I probably didn't offer the kind of response that was really sought. It's not as though I haven't thought through this before, but I suppose it had been a while since someone had asked me that kind of a question. So...here is another attempt to answer it with a little more practical detail.

Ever since it seemed I had a desire to minister to other people I've had a passion for preaching. I remember reading the book of Jeremiah on one occasion and he spoke of the Lord's message being like a fire that was shut up in his bones if He didn't deliver it to the people. I've often felt something that perhaps approaches such a description. When I've stumbled upon something in scripture that seems to me vitally important for others to hear and understand it's difficult to contain the words and emotion that well inside of me. However, my usual audience is a mountain filled sky, a field of sage brush, and the occasional Magpie or Robin. When I have opportunity to deliver such a message to others I feel like Eric Liddell (Chariots of Fire) who said "when I run, I feel His (God) pleasure." Of course the preparation that can go into a message can be nerve wracking at times, just as my ever patient and beloved wife has often seen...And nothing I'm writing here should have any reflection upon the actual quality of my preaching. :)

I also have a similar passion for writing. This is something I've only discovered within the last 5 years or so. I suppose it comes from a desire to first communicate with the Lord the thoughts and feelings that if not written can become like building pressure, perhaps not unlike the arising of steam within a pot. It's my hope that the things I write and share with others might just serve to encourage them a little more in their journeys with Christ.

Finally, I love having opportunities to sit with another person, sharing a cup of coffee, and listening to their stories. If there is something for me to offer in the way of encouragement or exhortation through the emptying of a cup or two then I feel blessed. Yet, whether or not I have anything to offer it seems to me that people always have a need of really being heard. I don't think we do this enough for one another. So many times we are too focused on our own concerns that we don't take the time to simply be available to others. And although this is something I enjoy doing I know I don't do it enough either. Still, it is something I treasure and hopefully after that cup has dried my friends find themselves feeling filled up and their load lightened.

There...those are the things that stir my passion as a minister of Christ. I suppose this exercise is far more helpful to me than anyone else who might happen to read this, but it is important to know how God has wired us to serve Him and others. And that may just be the point for you as well. For if you love Jesus as I do and you desire to walk with Him then be assured He has anointed you a minister of His gospel. His Great Commission is every bit for you as it is for anyone else. So then allow me to ask you the same question that was posed to me. What passion or passions has God stirred or is stirring in you in the way of ministering to others? I'd really love to hear what you have heard.