I am here to inform you that you and I are on this earth to serve the Lord God, His church and the world at large.
God created man in His image and for fellowship as we see in the book of Genesis 2 through 4 until the enemy came in and destroyed that beautiful fellowship God had with our first parents. He created us for Himself to have an intimate relationship with us through praise, worship, communication, etc. But thanks be to God for a second chance at fellowship with the Father, He sent His only Son, our Lord, and Saviour Jesus Christ to restore that broken fellowship through His precious blood that was shed for our sakes.
And now, we, believers through the selfless sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ, now have a primary calling (assignment, purpose etc.) and that is, to serve God using the talents, spiritual gifts, strengths, etc., He has deposited in us for the propagation of His Kingdom. Beloved, aside from our secondary calling as husbands, wives, fathers and mothers, we are called to minister (serve) to God and others in various ways to fulfill the great commission Mark 16:15-20.
God had called us to be His servants on earth, and it is not until we have been ordained by man's authority before we know we are called; from the moment we make the decision to follow Christ, we are instantly drawn to ministry, to serve God and others. At first, you might not know what your role is in the body of Christ is, but during the course of your christian journey, it will be revealed to you. However, it's quite unfortunate that many have died without realizing what their actual calling or purpose in life was.
There are several believers today who are not engaging in their primary assignment. Although they are serving in their various local assemblies or para church organizations, these individuals are not doing what God has purposed for them. For example, you have believers called to serve as teachers of the Word, training and equipping God's people, but instead are busy serving as ushers, or video crew staff, heading church departments, etc. There is nothing wrong with these areas of ministry and is available to serve in other areas of ministry in which you have skills or talents, should the need arise, but do it bearing in mind that this is not your God-purposed ministry or calling and so therefore do not lose focus. So many including myself, have fallen into this situation and become so overwhelmed with the work or assignment, especially in our local churches that we become ineffective and lose interest quickly.
You need to find out what God has explicitly called you to do and do it well, for, at the end of your race, you are going to stand before God and give an account of your lives, what you did, and how the resources and gifts given to you were utilized. Brethren, it is important to remember that your obedience to God will be weighed on that great day and that is what you are going to give account for and not your sacrificial good works 1 Sam 15:22 " To obey is better than sacrifice." The spiritual gifts and talents that God deposited in you, and I are aligned with the ministry He has called us to do. We were fearfully and wonderfully made by God, and so we know he carefully took His time to mold us and fill us with what will help to serve Him effectively. Psalm 139:14
At the time of conception, your talents (natural gifts), i.e. music, creativity, etc. were given to you and then when you became born again, the Lord. then deposited and assigned spiritual gifts to each believer and so having said this, I encourage you to trust God for your life, your calling, trust him who fashioned you, to sustain you in the ministry He has called you to. Why? because the Lord has equipped you with everything, you will ever need to fulfill your department and purpose.
How do you know when you are already fulfilling your purpose?
I have come to understand in this christian journey that you will know when you are operating in your ministry or calling when you pass through trials or the storms of life and still remain standing. Nothing or no one can uproot you from where God has positioned you for, by His strength you can complete the race set before you.
Do you ever wonder why some churches shut down before they even reach their second or third anniversary? most often, they are not where the Lord has designed them to be. It appears everyone wants to pastor a church, but God has called them into other areas of service. So many times, I have seen servants of God starting churches which eventually crumble or remain stagnant for years, and yes, it may not necessarily be because they are not positioned in the right area of ministry but who is to say, that is not the reason. To confirm what is actually the issue for stagnancy or delay, it is best to seek the Lord in prayer.
I have heard of some who received a clear message that the Lord has called them to be teachers, evangelists, or missionaries however, they chose to disobey and embark on alternate assignments or tasks and experience hardship or difficulties in their chosen assignment. People like these, who have willfully disobeyed God's instruction or direction, do so due to the monetary benefits they are receiving and the authority/power they are enjoying. This is sheer disobedience to God, and there are consequences as we know for knowingly disobeying God.
Brethren, I encourage you today to be confident in God's choice for you, in John 15: 16, He states that He is the one who does the choosing and not us. It is only Him who understands why He has chosen us for our particular ministry and so you have to trust him to see you through by His grace.
In conclusion, I ask again " What is your ministry" Your specific purpose here on earth" Are you called to be a children's Sunday School Teacher, training children to become end-time generals in the Lord's army, a Pastor/Shepherd, called to guide God's children through His Word, provide spiritual counseling, mentoring and more, an Evangelist called to take the message of the good news to the communities of the world, a Church Administrator, a Counselor, or Music Minister etc.?
Do you have a vision or dream that you are yet to fulfill, and you believe the Lord has given you this vision? If yes, then pursue it with all your heart knowing the Lord has equipped you with the resources, gifts, skills that are required to fulfill your vision and ministry.
On the other hand, if you are unsure of your ministry or calling or you have no clue what it might be, it is time to seek God in prayer, and He will reveal it to you. You can also go to your spiritual leader, counselor, etc. and have him or her pray along with you for the Lord to reveal your ministry to you. Now is the time for you to take your actual place in the body of Christ, remember God has chosen you for a particular purpose, you have to identify what that purpose is and strive to fulfill it with the gifts, talents and skills He has equipped you with. We, as believers need to make sure we are serving in the race specially prepared for us and not someone else's race and once we do, let us do it with all obedience, diligence and wholeheartedly, and the Lord will continue to sustain us unto to the very end of our lives in Jesus' name.
