Used For Ministry

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin." ~Hebrews 4:15

Do you know what ministry is? Is it necessarily being a missionary or pastor that qualifies you as a person in ministry? In my opinion, I don't think so.

When I had a friend come to me in the middle of a mental breakdown, I wasn't in a foreign land nor on an altar proclaiming the word of God. I was there in my hometown, in her kitchen telling her God's truth. So I was in ministry at that very moment.

I once heard ministry is the giving up of oneself, and it's indeed true. If you want to go into ministry, you are going to lack sleep, comfort, and what we may consider as joy at this very moment to serve the God we love by serving others. But if there is one thing that I have found to be true in my life it is that God uses our past trials and shortcomings for his glory.

I have a past full of things I'm not proud of, yet God in all his knowledge and wisdom is able to use my past sins to help others with theirs now. I was able to relate to my friend on some level because I had faced similar overwhelming feelings they were having. I would say that I was helpful to some degree. I also wonder if there was anything else I could do looking back. What is important is that I relied on God, and the truth that He has shown me in the past before. Doing just that I saw what He has done in her life.

Think upon this one thing. What are your struggles? More specifically, what past sins and struggles do you have that can be used for glorifying God today?

Remember Jesus was tempted and tried so many times in his life, yet he was without sin. He faced the battles we have faced and fought the good fight with perfect results. Even though we are sinners with a past, we can still be used for God's glory by using our past mistakes for helping others.

In ministry, you give up yourself. In making the choice of following Christ, we give up our lives. So here's the thought I would like to share with you today. Can you see how God will use your past for his glory? And how can you help others today because of it?

Romans 8:28 says all things work for the good of those who have been called according to his good and perfect plan. We can think God will let us win the lottery, but really what it means is that he will work all circumstances and situations in our lives for his glory. Even our trials and past sins for ministry.

Thanks for reading. And for those of you back home, I will be posting pictures shortly. Just be patient. ;) Peace.