Whose Ministry is it Anyway?
By Nell Stevenson

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit; but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Phil. 2:3,4)

These words apply well to ministry.

Ministry is a familiar word to most Christians and is usually considered to be a special service for the Lord. It is a means of sharing our love for Christ to benefit others in some meaningful way. It may be a personal calling. Often it is carried out as part of an outreach by a Christian organization or church. This work, inspired by the Lord and dedicated to Him, may fulfill a need within the church or extend to the community.

The ultimate purpose of any ministry from a truly dedicated follower of Christ would be to let God use him or her to share that life of the Holy Spirit that was born in him when he accepted Christ as his personal Saviour. Ministry is manifested in many different ways and usually involves a selfless outflow of one’s time or talent or resources. Some may have a ministry of reaching out to youth in trouble, visiting the sick or helping the poor. Some may have a ministry in music, teaching, speaking or writing; or it may be one of donating funds for a worthy cause - all done in an unassuming way for the glory of God.

We can be assured that God does want to use us, but it must be He, not we ourselves, who decides how. All He needs is a dedicated life and a willing spirit. Then He may even use us when we are unaware. In other cases, He may have to bring us through some difficult circumstances to prepare us for the ministry He has in store for us. Only by God’s wisdom and guidance can we move forward. (Prov.3:5,6) Being chosen by God to touch other lives is a tremendous privilege to which many Christians aspire, but we must be very sure that our service is prompted by the Holy Spirit and not by our own desires. This is a prerequisite for any ministry.  “If a man thinks himself something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” (Gal.6:3)

In other words, we still have a fleshly nature. God’s spirit within us does not take that away and we must deal with it on a daily basis. The carnal nature is evident in very normal human activities (eating, drinking, shopping, sex, work, play) that are all quite natural and acceptable under the right circumstances. For most Christians these physical aspects of their human nature in daily life probably do not present a problem or interfere with their ministry.

What is more difficult to control is jealousy, conceit, pride, or arrogance. These traits of carnal man are not as easy to define but are so much easier to recognize in others! In fact, it may be pride that stands in the way of admitting these faults. Most of us can say with the apostle Paul, “the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. (Rom.7:19)  Every day we must rely on God’s help to control the carnal nature and express more of the divine nature that we have received through Christ. This takes time in prayer and patience in listening for that still small voice of God to lead us. Satan has a heyday appealing to our natural desires. Every day we must earnestly pray, “Search my heart O God” (Ps.139:23,24)

With every good intention we may make a decision to enter into a ministry of some sort based on our own understanding of the need we see and the help we have to offer. We might jump at the chance to be of service (a very human reaction) without even thinking to consult our Lord. There is a need here and we see a chance to be of service and assume that this is also God’s intent for us. It may be, but it may also be pride or “selfish ambition” that is the motivating force.

Perhaps we feel the Lord’s calling to enter into a particular ministry.  Again it is prudent to pray and wait to be sure we are hearing the right voice; it may be God’s, or it may be our own, or Satan’s. We are so accustomed to making our own decisions and plans that we may even convince ourselves that what we want is really God’s will; after all, is this not an urgent need? Isn’t this the perfect solution? Haven’t we prayed “Thy will be done”?

In each case earnest prayer and searching the Bible should be our first recourse. God does speak to us if we are patient enough to listen. He does light up Bible passages for us when we earnestly seek his will. He does provide a double or triple witness in accordance with His word. He does use other praying Christians to confirm His will for us. When the right decision has been made He does provide peace and harmony.

In any service for the Lord we must first examine our conscience to make sure that it is not our own interests that are being served. Satan knows that we are vulnerable and continually seeks an opportunity to appeal to these weaknesses. How often have we not seen Christians in the public forum be humiliated because of their conceit and selfish interests? Daniel 4:37 reminds us that “those who walk in pride, he (God) is able to humble”. In Prov. 8:13 God says, “I hate pride and arrogance”. Yet it is so easy to let them creep into our lives.

Our human nature is such that we are very susceptible to flattery and praise, which appeal to our sense of pride and self-importance.  Any hint of self-ambition or pride leaves us open to blindness and deception; “You do such a good job! You are really needed here! Look how the Lord is blessing you!” With such praise, humility can quickly flee. When we start to feel good about what we are doing it is time to reassess the situation. “Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall”. (Prov.16:18) It is crucial that we walk very closely with our Lord and “pray without ceasing”, daily rededicating our lives to Him. It is His approval that counts.

“All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord”. (Prov.2) A ministry originally intended to bring glory to God can easily turn into an activity to bring glory to self. In fact we may end up using the Lord’s platform to promote our own will and ambition. God forbid! This is the sad state of affairs that has so often caused the fracturing of Christianity and brought dishonor to Christ.

Authentic Ministry originates with the Holy Spirit and is an expression of the Spirit within us. It is not a work we decide to do for the Lord, but a work He chooses to accomplish through us. We become His hands, His feet, His voice, His heart. To God be the Glory!  In the end “He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.” (1 Cor.4:5 )