It's All Ministry

 Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ. -Colossians 3:23-24 

 This is a teaching entry, an attempt to lay out everything I have learned about this topic at this point in my life in a written sermon or lecture. What is this topic? Well, I'm not entirely sure what to call it other than to say, it's all ministry. What do I mean? Well, are you a car mechanic? That is a ministry opportunity. You don't leave auto repair for ministry when you become a full time pastor. No, when you do that, you only switch your occupation in ministry. An occupation is simply what fills your working time. A ministry is defined as the duties of a minister. A minister is someone who serves. These definitions are very basic, but, research them, biblically speaking I think you'll find that I am at least partially correct in this. So, if you're a housewife for an occupation, and if you are a minister/servant in God's Kingdom, then presto, you're in ministry! Does this mean I am against those who do full time? No, not at all. I believe though, that the world is suffering partially because it has christians with jobs instead of disciples in ministry. So, let's say you're a used car salesman as a christian. You go to work because you believe you're earning the money for your family. As a Kingdom disciple who happens to do used car sales, you are going to work to see about, 1. Making a positive impact on the people you encounter; 2. Harvesting funds from this world to channel into Kingdom endeavors, and 3. Raising funds for future multiplication to increase the power of objective 2. What about your provision you might ask? God takes care of that. See the post about the seesaw to see how this might look. Now, if you're a business owner, none of these basic fundamentals change, again, they are 1. Investing time into people. 2. Moving money from the world to the Kingdom, and 3. Investing money in order to increase the power of the movement in 2. Or, to put it more simply, Kingdom profits. The practical living out of it as in amounts of money and risk dealt with change, and there might be more laying awake at night being tormented with worries and having to talk to God if your a business owner instead of a job holder, but, when this comes, the thing to do is to turn back to God, hold the business or any other thing before the Lord, with an open hand, and say, from the heart, Lord, this is not mine, it's yours. I own nothing. I own nothing. I own nothing! I OWN NOTHING!! It's yours Lord. I find myself having to do this type of thing quite often lately, but it's worth it. 

 So, how does this look practically? Well, I don't know what it means for you, but, I will let you look inside my heart a little in case it helps. From age 22 up until just last summer. (I am 31.) I wanted to be a full time christian counselor. I studied it, I did some of it, but I could never figure out how to position myself correctly, to end up in a spot where I could focus on counseling without having to do my own fundraising. Now, the type of counseling I wanted to do is excellent, it involves praying with a hurting person, and helping them hear from God, it involves moving a religious christian with a life of religious rituals into a real authentic relationship with the Lord. It involves being humble enough to know that as a counselor, you are only making introductions so to speak, all healing comes from the Lord. I am still ultra passionate about this, and somewhere in all my private writings is a ministry idea that would specialize in this very thing. (I still want it done, but I no longer need to be the one doing it, that is the difference. In fact, I really don't have time to do it full time, because that is not my position, and today, I am glad.) However, last summer, the chip was taken off my shoulder, and I realized for the first time that my calling is to show the Lord's redemption to the world around me, and that this was supposed to happen, period. Regardless of position, this was the calling, the position was a separate issue altogether. See the difference here. So, I threw myself into the work, the position God had me in at that time, and now I stand here before you, or rather sit in my dilapidated desk chair before a second hand computer sorta kinda-ish virtually before you, at the start of a new chapter, where I can actually help enable the very need I see in this world to be filled; and it's all becoming possible because, I stopped needing a position and started living in ministry. Here is another story along the same lines as my personal story. In that case, they used a position of blacksmithing to share the story of Christ dying for our sins. 

 Now, I am cautious about how I write about my personal stories and triumphs, because I am keenly aware that I don't always live what I write, I am sadly still very human, and at times still very selfish, fearful, and at times, downright angry, yet I know because of Christ that is the old man that can be repented of and discarded. Freedom is always possible again. Pray for me as I look down the barrel of 2022. It's high time for the Lord's redemption to be shown to a hurting world, and I got work to do. No matter what it is, no matter how you put words to your ministry, may I remind us, that it starts at home? How is our spouse? Thriving, or hanging on for dear life? What about our children? Are they being cultivated as precious investments from the Lord which cannot be bought? Or are they lean, and starving for nourishment in soul, spirit, and/or body? One of the people who is manifesting redemption in the world is a very good friend of mine, and I am wanting him and his beautiful family to be fully funded so that his family continues to do well. I am not asking you to help fund him. I am asking you to research and pray, then help fund him if you feel so led. Here is his patreon page. If you have questions about what he is up to, feel free to reach out, I can share a few more details with you and also get you in touch with him. Regardless, the Lord will take care of him, but maybe He wants to use you to do it as well as me? I don't know. However, I am thankful for people like him, who are willing to spend all their working hours restoring relationships with Christ in a world that has gone completely off the skids ever since the fruit got eaten in the garden of Eden. 

 I have learned a lot from Bobby Eaton in these matters, and would suggest if you wish to learn how your specific business or job could be a ministry to contact him for advice. He has lived this business is ministry truth for a long time, and I feel like I am just starting this race. However, I would love to hear from you as well. 

 For how you might find the ministry in your personal finances, I would suggest reading Craig Hill's 5 Wealth Secrets. Again, I would love to hear from you as well. 

  Earlier in this entry I said, "This is a teaching entry, an attempt to lay out everything I have learned about this topic at this point in my life in a written sermon or lecture." In that attempt, I have failed. There is so much more to say, but, I think this entry is long enough.....I will have to take another swing at it later.