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Seeing We Have This Ministry...
2 Corinthians 4:1
"Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;"
If you have a ministry in which you work in your church, let me remind you that it is a great privilege to be able to serve. I have had the privilege my entire life of being involved in the ministry to some degree. Because I have been involved in it for so long, I have to be careful that I don't take for granted the privilege I have to serve God. Think with me if you will; the God of the Universe allows frail and sinful humans like you and me to represent Him. God could have chosen many other objects to represent Him, but He chose us. God could have created something that could never sin to represent Him, but He chose humans, who have a choice to sin or do right, to represent Him. No matter how big your ministry is, you are privileged to work for Christ. Because we are privileged to work for Christ in a ministry, we are reminded in 2 Corinthians chapter 4 to do several things.
First, seeing you have this ministry, don't quit! Notice it says in the verse above, "...seeing we have this ministry...we faint not;" The ministry is not going to be easy. There will be times when the ministry will seem like it doesn't profit at all, but you must not quit. There will be times in the ministry when trials and tribulations will come your way, but you must not quit. There are people who depend on you to keep going, so you must not quit. God is depending on you to keep going, so you must not quit.
Second, seeing we have this ministry, be honest. In verse 2, God talks about living honestly. In other words, you should be honest in how you deliver the Word of God. You have no right to deliver the Word of God to fit your own lifestyle or opinion, your responsibility is to deliver the Word of God truthfully. Too many times we try to make the Word of God fit what we believe, but instead we should make what we believe fit the Word of God. Furthermore, be honest in your dealings with people. Remember you are representing Christ. Don't ruin the ministry with an immoral life. Be honest with what you tell people. Be honest in how you live. You represent Christ; therefore, you should be honest.
Third, seeing we have this ministry, then make it about Christ and not about you. God says in verse 5, "For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord..." Too many people want to talk about themselves more than they talk about Christ. Listen, the ministry is not about how many degrees you have or what you have accomplished, it is about Christ. I am weary of Christians who constantly remind people in the pulpits or classes they teach of how many college degrees they have, what they have accomplished or how great they think they are. The ministry is not about you, the ministry is about Christ; so make it about Him.
Last, seeing we have this ministry, live for the eternal. In verse 18, we are reminded to live looking "...at the things which are not seen..." If you are going to be successful in the ministry, then you must not live for temporal things, but you must live for the eternal. Take your eyes off of possessions and money and place them upon the eternal treasures you lay up in Heaven. That is the only way you will survive the ministry until you die.
The ministry is a great life. "Therefore seeing we have this ministry...," let's live according to what God commands us in 2 Corinthians 4.