Your job, your career, your business- the thing you spend the most time doing, yet the most neglected opportunity for ministry. Most Believers spend an average of 8+ hours per day, 5+ days a week working to earn an income. In a 24- hour day, the average person is spending one-third (33.3%) of their time concentrated on their work life. This doesn’t even include the amount of time put forth preparing for work and recovering from work. The remaining 16 hours or less of their day has to be split between other major life activities including eating, sleeping, caring for family and friends, rest, quiet time, and whatever else can be squeezed in. This leaves little time or energy for what is considered ministry work.

Well, what if we just needed to shift our understanding of ministry to make sure we include it in our daily routines? In religious circles, the word ministry is restricted to the vocation of a pastor, priest, preacher, etc. Most people would not think of themselves as a minister. The two most commonly used Greek words in the new testament that are translated to indicate ministry are diakonia and leitourgia. Every translation of these words indicates ones level of service, whether as a deacon in Philipians 1:1, a minister of Jesus Christ in 2 Corinthians 3:3, a servant of God in 2 Corinthians 6:4, and so on. You get the picture. The true definition of the word refers to being of service to others. #weareservants

The job of our clergy members is to equip us to go out and do God’s work and build up the church (serve) according to Ephesians 4:11-12. We think we are being ministered to when we go to church, but the fact is that it is only a start of the ripple effect. We are supposed to be empowered when we fellowship to go out and serve others and continue building. We have sat in enough church services to be equipped enough to start serving and the purpose of going back to continue being built so we can keep serving. We don’t have to be ordained to serve and minister to others, we’re already washed and cleansed by the blood of Jesus, making us right for the job. Regardless of what you are doing, what job you have, you serve in some capacity. Your gifts, talents, skills, opportunities are to be used to serve. When considering our occupations from this perspective, we now have an additional lens from which to look at things. What we do on a day to day basis can be used in service to others, to minister to their needs and spread the light and message of Jesus Christ. We don’t need to go find another job, program, volunteer opportunity in order to minister. We’ve already been hired by Christ!

Let me be clear. I’m not saying to never volunteer to help someone in need. I am also not proposing that you quit any of your involvement in clubs, activities, teams of any sort. That is for you to obey the Holy Spirit if He is calling you to leave an assignment in preparation for more. I am suggesting that we can take the pressure off of ourselves. There is no need to fill your calendar up with volunteer activities just to check a box indicating that you have served this week. Our day to day jobs allow us the perfect opportunity to serve God’s Creation. The question is are you taking the opportunity to do so or are you allowing those co-workers who annoy you to throw you off task and out of purpose? Are you allowing the goal you’re working so hard to attain to stifle you from serving the season you’re in?

Jesus Christ is always hiring. The only qualification He has is that you are a Believer in His death, burial, and resurrection. In Matthew 9:37-38, Jesus spoke to His disciples saying “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” The places you already serve are the harvest field. You are a worker equipped to gather the harvest. My prayer for you is that you start serving others right where you are and that your service inspires others to join you in service so that gathering might take place. My prayer is that you daily remind yourself of the blessing yo have to serve regardless of how hard work and life is at the time. That you keep your eye on the Kingdom prize so that in the end you will hear, “Well done my good and faithful servant”.

Watch your spiritual life take on a new posture as you focus on how well you serve in your day to day work. Remember to rely on the strength of the LORD! Reference the graphic below as a daily reminder. #wellness #wellnesswednesday #kingdomwellness #kingdomwellnesscoaching #serve #weareservantsofthelord #wearetheminister #goserve #lifecoach #occupationalwellness #spiritualwellness #wholisticwellness