Greetings to you, dear friends! I thank God for you and trust that this day will bring you blessings as you meditate on the word God is giving us today.We continue to talk about the power of ministry to change a person’s life.When we talk about ministry from the biblical point of view, there might arise many various and practical questions, for example: «How does it profit me to minister to people for free? Will I be able to survive in this world if I minister for free? Shouldn’t people think of themselves first? What good it is for me if I live for others and not for myself? Who is going to take care of me and solve my problems?»We will try to find the answers in God’s Word. We will see that God is not mistaken when He tells us to minister to other people with our gifts. God’s wisdom is the highest wisdom that exists. If God tells you to live a certain way, then it is because He knows that that particular lifestyle is what you need and is for your own good.
«As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God» (1 Peter, 4:10).
Allow God to transform you through ministry, because the ones who minister never stay the same. The ones who minister to God and men will be continually changing and being perfected in God’s wisdom. God will change you through ministry!The call to serve God and people is the call to change, growth, perfection, fruitfulness and happy life. Have you answered God’s call to serve other people with the gifts you have received from God? Maybe you have been regularly praying for the Lord to change you. I want to say to you that you should keep praying, because God does change us through prayer. But God will also change us through ministry. That is why He tells us that if we want to see obvious changes in our lives, we must minister to others with the gifts we have received from Him.It says in the Bible: «If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies…» (1 Peter, 4:11). This verse talks about two different ways of serving God and men: speaking and practical works.I can be serving by my words, if my gift is one of the gifts of revelation. For example, you can bring people revelations, encouragement, comfort and inspiration through the gifts of ‘speaking’. This group of gifts includes prophecy, sermon, teaching, edification, counselling and advice. All these things can become a way to minister to people. I can serve people through my words. That is why it says, “If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God” (1 Peter, 4:11).
God’s Word is full of grace and truth, and profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy, 3:16-17). That is why God wants us to be careful with words that we say during our fellowship with others and make sure those words are seasoned with salt, grace and truth: «Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one» (Colossians, 4: 6).
We talk all the time, don’t we? What we say to others can either minister to them and build them up or upset them and rob them of their precious time. If our hearts are full of God’s Word, we can teach and edify one another the way God desires it. «Let the words of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord» (Colossians, 3: 16).
After we talk to people they should be revived in their spirits, inspired and encouraged, even if their spirits were down before that. As a minister of God you should make sure your words are always full of encouragement, comfort, healing, prayer and blessing.Thus, the speaking of God’s Word is one of the ways we can minister to others with the gifts we have received from God. This can be expressed through prayer, song or worship, sermon, counselling, teaching, preaching of the Gospel and other similar forms: «If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God!» (1 Peter, 4:11).
So speaking is one way to minister to people; practical works is another: « If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies…» (1 Peter, 4:11).
We will talk about that tomorrow!I wish you abundant God’s blessings! Pastor Rufus Ajiboye
