| The Ministry
From the beginning, God has called leaders to serve His people. For the minister, each day offers a new challenge. The phone rings, we are summoned to the bedside of a dying man. Later in the day, we help arrange a marriage. That evening, we counsel a soul in trouble. No other vocation offers such a wide span of involvement with mankind.
Then when we stand to preach or to teach, think of it -- in our human hands we hold the truth of Universal Knowledge or God, the supreme answer to the soul of man.
The ministry is not a job, not a profession. It is a calling, and the noblest -- the most demanding and at times exasperating -- but it is surely the most satisfying and rewarding experience human life affords.
OUR SOURCE OF STRENGTH
We serve God. He develops and strengthens us. We must first prepare ourselves, then our sermons, lectures and classes. The very fact that we are ministers will work against our spiritual life unless we are careful.
Power in preaching and teaching comes in direct proportion to time spent in prayer and meditation. Nothing -- not speaking ability nor a forceful personality nor a persuasive manner -- can take the place of the Spirit, filling and shaping and using the life committed to Him.
Are we adequate to the task? Never. We have this treasure in jars of clay, but God accepts and uses our service nonetheless. If the truth were known, few of us pray or meditate enough. We tend to rely too much upon our own cleverness in programming and promotion, but not enough upon the power of the Universe through prayer and meditation. Sadly, our spiritual organizations show it.
A definite time and place, preferably early in the morning, where one can shut out the world and feed upon the Word, unburden ourselves and commune with the Father setting the tone for the day and for a lifetime.
The minister who keeps his appointment with God need have no anxiety about his work. In your daily walk, you will experience the unfolding hand of God bringing new power and effectiveness. You will see your life lifted to a level you never dreamed possible, a level you could never have attained by yourself.
PERSONAL MINISTRY
"And Jesus called them to him, and said to them, you know that those who are supposed to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you, but whoever would be great among you must be your servant (minister, KJV), and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve (ministered unto, but to minister, KVJ), and to live his life as a ransom for many." MARK 10:42-45
A person who can really understand and live by these words would be a true minister in any sense of the word. The greatness and value of any human being (son of man) is really determined by the degree of his willingness toward service and usefulness. Also, it is determined by the degree of his willingness to love. To "give his life as a ransom for many" does not mean to lose one's life. To "give" does not mean the same as to "lose". To give it means to give it usage and expression in such a way that the whole meaning of one's life becomes a process of lessening unnecessary suffering (ransoming for as many fellow human beings as possible for many).
SUCCESSFUL MINISTER
The minister will always be a good student. No matter how well informed you are, you must constantly be increasing your knowledge. You must keep up with that which is currently going on in the world you must constantly be studying to get a new angle on what you are doing, new inspiration and good illustration for your lectures and/or sermons.
The minister must be an excellent speaker. Opera stars constantly study to perfect their role and vocal techniques. So should the minister continue to hone his skills.
The minister is a teacher. While, as a speaker, you inspire and uplift, you must also strive to teach and instruct. You must show the student how to use the teaching.
The minister must be a healer, for the purpose of every service is that the people present be healed. This is accomplished, not through the spoken word, but through the healing consciousness of the minister.
The minister is a pastor. While this will vary according to the community in which you live, you must still be the pastor of the living church. You are the one who holds things together and to whom the members will look up to.
The minister must be a leader -- not a boss or a dictator -- but a leader. When the minister leads, through spiritual understanding, guided by wisdom, the church will follow.
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