Do you wonder if God has a purpose for you daily? Did God save you so you could make some money, raise healthy kids, get promoted in your job, and stay out of trouble? Maybe once or twice a year, you do some charity work, or teach Sunday School or go to a prayer breakfast. Is that why Jesus died for you?
There’s not much “ministry” for me to do. I live in a city with tons of Christians. Every corner has a church. Most of the people I work with are “christian:” They’re civilized, not Jewish, Hindu or Muslim, and they haven’t killed anyone. I give some money to various non-profits, a children’s hospital or the homeless shelter. I volunteer every year at Thanksgiving or Christmas. I give to United Way.
When I read words like “sacrifice” in the Bible, I wonder what I’m supposed to do. I don’t have any sheep to sacrifice. I don’t think God wants me to kill my dog. I’m generally too busy working, and shuttling kids to soccer or band to sacrifice much of anything.
A few weeks ago, a coworker told me they’re going through a divorce. I have coworkers who make very little money and could use some help. One has a child on a transplant waiting list. Many live paycheck to paycheck, trying to get another dollar to two per hour. Other coworkers have health, marriage or financial troubles. Or they have family members with medical issues. One has a close relative who is diagnosed with cancer.
Most of these people never meet a “minister.” They don’t go to church, or aren’t known where they attend. They need a minister, but our word minister has changed. Do you think a minister is someone who quits their job to work for a church or a religious non-profit? Are ministers the people who get up on stage on Sunday? Are they the people who visit you when you’re in the hospital?
A minister used to be someone who ministered, or cared for others. The Greek word commonly translated “minister,” or “ministry” in the New Testament is also often translated “servant.” The idea is someone who serves.
Jesus commanded us to make disciples, teaching them to obey all that He commanded. He instructed us to serve others and put them first. That’s what he did and so should we. If we live a life always ready to give away our resources and our time, we testify to our Source, our Strength and our Provider. People who meet Him, want to know Him. A minister is someone who helps others move one notch closer to Jesus.
What if every Jesus-follower in every career, occupation, or business was ready to help anyone move one notch closer to Jesus? Follower of One is a community of people who are moving closer to Jesus one notch at a time. We want to help others move one notch closer too. My best life is a living sacrifice, available to take any circumstance, resource, or opportunity to help the people around me, family, friends, coworkers move one notch closer to Jesus. Everything else is secondary.
Photo by Tom Barrett on Unsplash
Note: This is the first of a series of posts on the vision for Follower of One. Check out Part 2 and Part 3 also. Contact us if you have questions or check out the community.
6 Responses
Mike,
You are absolutely right. Our highest calling is to give our lives as a Living Sacrifice in service to the Lord. He told us to love God, then others. He even told us the tools we should use to do this: Our Soul (Spirit), our Heart (Emotion/relationship), our Mind (Logic/planning), and our Strength (Function – our God-given strengths). If we give up our arrogance toward God and Ask for his help, he will Revive our Spirit, Reform our Heart, Renew our Mind, and Restore our Strength(s) in order to fulfill his purposes (Romans 12:2). Taken together, God wants our whole S.E.L.F. aligned in obedience to his will. Spiritual, Emotional, Logical, and Functional form the multi-faceted basis of human life.
Great thoughts Mike, I appreciate your focus on the communal aspect of growing closer to Christ incrementally. I was part of a church body years back whose mission statement was simply, “Moving People Toward God.” Simple, true, and clear. I love it. Your article reminded me of that mission statement.
Well put, Mike. I continue to pray on this too, for Follower Of One, as well as how I might be able to serve via my God given gifts. Staying tuned to see what God has in store. (By the way, felt compelled to create CHRist Works (my idea to “mobilize” HR pros) LinkedIn group last week. No members, not content…just trying to keep things moving forward.
Thanks for the comment. And, please let me know when I can join your group.
I personally love the vision of Follower of One! It is Biblical discipleship at its core!
As with any effort to get in shape physically, I think to get in shape spiritually we need a plan. Being a “follower of one“ requires that we follow His plan. That means doing just what you said, being a servant. I’m wondering if we couldn’t put together a progressive plan for the activities or actions of service that people could be involved in?
Four instance, speaking a kind word, writing a note during a time of crisis or even bringing someone back a cup of Starbucks after lunch… Very simple things that we could do to reach out. As the plan moves forward, acts of service could increase in their amount of dedication, finances or time required.
Just a thought…
Great thoughts. Would you start a discussion along those lines in the community? My action for today is to pray for each member of my team and watch for opportunities to create a memorable moment for a coworker or several.
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