“Let us practice the fine art of making every work a priestly ministration.”
A.W. Tozer
All of life is an opportunity for ministry. It doesn’t matter if I am grocery shopping, having workers at my house, or having guests stay for a visit, my thoughts and prayers are centered around, “Lord, use me in their life. May I represent You well and show them who You are. Speak through me to encourage their heart.” Our lives are not divided into sacred versus secular. If you are a follower of Jesus, then everything in your life is sacred.
Jesus was also available to minister anytime and anywhere. In John 4:1-26, Jesus was tired from a journey, so He sat down to rest by a well in Samaria. Even in His weariness, Jesus did not miss an opportunity to minister. He ignored cultural protocol and reached out to the Samaritan woman. Jesus sidestepped small talk and discussed spiritual issues. He asked her questions which eventually led to the revelation that He was the Messiah.
Jesus was comfortable with bringing up the uncomfortable. He went right to the woman’s heart of shame, regarding her relationships with men. He spoke a word of knowledge that unlocked her heart. Then He shared with the Samaritan woman these encouraging words: “But whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14).
We recently had the interior of our house painted. Each morning before the painter arrived, I’d ask the Lord to make me sensitive to hearing His voice. I knew that God alone knew the painter’s needs, wants, and desires. Yes, I wanted our house painted, but more importantly, I wanted God to minister to his spiritual needs. The words Jesus spoke to the woman at the well made her thirsty and as a result, she wanted what Jesus had to offer.
I have no idea if anything I said or did made a spiritual difference to the painter or if I gave him any living water. I hope in some way, he saw Jesus through me. Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, look at it as an opportunity to minister. As you surrender to the Lord and make yourself available to Him to use you in others’ lives, you will be amazed how He can turn an ordinary experience into a spiritual and supernatural one.
“Stay at the Source, closely guarding your faith in Jesus Christ and your relationship to Him, and there will be a steady flow into the lives of others...”
Oswald Chambers
Relevant Reflection:
Describe a time when God took an ordinary experience and used you to make a spiritual difference in someone’s life.
Image by 👀 Mabel Amber, who will one day from Pixabay