Ministry and giving determines the measure of one’s spiritual growth and maturity

Precious brothers and sisters! I send you greetings on this wonderful day. I believe that God has fresh manna from heaven for you today. May your soul be satisfied with His goodness and mercy on this day!

We are still talking about the blessedness of ministry and giving. We discussed that the one who loves God always serves people. Whoever serves people is blessed and exalted by God. God can’t support those that are only concerned with their own well-being and does not have any time for the promotion of the Kingdom of God.

Ministry and giving determines the measure of one’s spiritual growth and maturity. It also determines how much I bear a resemblance to Jesus Christ. God wants us to grow spiritually. One of the indications of one’s spiritual growth is how he or she fulfils the needs of others. Such a person not only takes and receives, but also gives. Giving and ministry is one and the same word that determines how much of resemblance to Jesus Christ I bear.

It says in the Bible that Jesus came to this earth to serve and not to be served. He is the example of a minister. Many of us want others to serve us. God says that we should minister and serve others. He wants us to be like Jesus.

«Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus» (Philippians, 2:5)

«For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many» (Mark, 10:45).

Jesus said that the Son of Man came for one purpose – to give His life a ransom for many, to serve others. This is the measure of one’s maturity in Christ Jesus. When we grow spiritually, we have more and more desire to serve people. When we grow, along with it grows our desire to share what we have and not just sit around and receive from others. It is ministry that is the measure of our spiritual maturity and likeness to Jesus Christ.

When Jesus lived on earth, He had many needs. In reality, people served Him. Jesus received their ministry. It is not the question of us not needing the ministry of others. But the priority of Jesus’ life was to serve people. It says in the Bible that it is more blessed to give than it is to receive. What do we do when we serve? We give and thus we are blessed. Every one of us is given opportunities to give of ourselves. When we minister we give ourselves, our talents, our time, and our abilities; using them we fulfil the needs of others.

«Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others» (Philippians, 2:4).

«Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being» (1 Corinthians, 10:24).

«We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbour for his good, leading to edification. For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, „The reproach of those who reproached You fell on Me.” For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope» (Romans, 15:1-4).

God does not want us to thing only of ourselves. When we are too focused on our own needs, problems, family, job, then we are not able to commit to ministry. If I live for myself, then I am only concerned with my own problems and their solution. God does not want me to live just for me. The Scripture verses above tell us not to seek only our own good and well-being, but to seek the well-being of others. When I only think of me, I become callous to the needs of others and do not notice things happening all around me. But when I minister, I become more aware of the needs of others and seek to solve them. Even if I still have some personal problems, I nevertheless seek to fulfil the needs of other people.

It is important for us to find joy, happiness and satisfaction in serving others. When a person has a problem, but lays it aside and works to meet the needs of other people, God takes care of this person. When one takes care of the problems of others, his or her problems are solved by other people. For example, if you being ill are praying for the healing of others and try to forget about your own pain, God places in the hearts of others a desire to pray for your healing.

God once told me: «If you will pray for other people, then total strangers will pray for you». God gave me a verse for it: «Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy»(Mathew, 5:7). When we minister to others, we place ourselves in the position when we always have the mercy of God.

Ministry to others always brings blessing into your life. Ministry to others is blessedness!

God bless you and keep you today!

Pastor Rufus Ajiboye