Do you want God to use you? Are you saved, yet longing for real purpose? Have you wondered where you fit? The fact that you’re asking these questions proves that God is stirring you up for ministry. I’m not referring to a pack-a-suitcase-and-move-to-China ministry but finding that place of service that God designed just for you in your local church.
You Have a Ministry
Did you know that you already have a ministry? When you got born again, God gave you a specific gift to bless His Body and when developed, it will fulfill you more than you could ever imagine. “…so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifted differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them.” Rm. 12:5-6
Seven Gifts From God
Your ministry, or area of service, can be determined by God’s gift in you. Romans 12:6 lists what I call the Grace Gifts because they are distinctly different graces (or expressions, anointings) that function in His Body. He gave one to you! Right now. As you learn to recognize what God has entrusted you with, you can begin to develop it and watch your unique ministry unfold right before your eyes. Find ‘your’ grace and you’ll find your place.
These seven grace gifts are prophecy, practical service, teaching, exhorting, giving, leading, and mercy. As you discover which one motivates you, Christ’s ministry through you will begin. Don’t get hung up on that word “ministry.” True ministry is simply the Spirit of Christ operating through you. You’ve probably been operating in your Grace Gift often, but just didn’t recognize it as such. You thought it was just “you,” but God motivated you to meet a need through you. This explains why some people also call these “grace gifts” the Motivational Gifts.
Breakfast at Be-Bops
Let’s pretend that you joined six Christian friends for breakfast at your favorite coffee shop, Be-Bops. The waitress brings a loaded tray but trips over one of your feet. Plates of food crash on the floor and orange juice spill across the table. Depending on the grace-gift that motivates each of them, all seven Christians respond differently.
The prophecy-motivated believer (who is consumed with motives) said, “Lady if you were taking your job more seriously, you would not have tripped.” The serving-motivated believer jumped up to get a mop. The teaching-motivated Christian said, “If you would place the heaviest plates in the middle of the tray, that won’t happen.” The exhorter-graced gift says, “I believe in you, mam’, and everything’s going to be okay.” The giver-graced believer slips her a five-dollar bill and says, “Take a break and go get yourself a donut,” and the Christian with a grace-gift to lead organized the clean-up crew, met the manager, and had the entire group relocated to another table. As the group moves to the new table, the mercy-motivated believer turns back to the waitress to say, “Please don’t feel bad. It could have happened to anyone.” Which one are you?
Developing Your Ministry
Faithfulness is the foundation of all ministry, so start serving wherever you are needed. If your church needs more ushers, you don’t need to pray about it. As you serve where you are needed, your grace-gift will grow and develop right there. You’ll eventually end up in just the right place. I know a door greeter who took his task quite seriously. It turned out that he was anointed (or graced) to be an exhorter. He made everyone who came to the church through his door feel valuable and cheerful that his line was always the longest. A word of caution, however, is to prevent an “I-won’t-serve- there-because-that’s-not-my-gifting” attitude. Let’s be quick to serve Jesus anywhere, okay?
Discovering Your Gift
By asking a few questions, your grace-gift can begin to be discovered. Have you noticed a need in your church that’s been overlooked? Do you find yourself annoyed that no one has fixed it? Perhaps you’ve seen light bulbs burned out or bulletins not yet folded. That could be your clue that you are a helper. Do you see a better way to host a mission trip or wonder why things are so unorganized? That could be your clue to lead. Why are you the only one who noticed someone has missed church for several weeks? That could be your clue towards mercy. Follow those clues! God is motivating you to help people with His love and that’s what real ministry is all about. As you find “your” grace, you’ll find your place and become a great blessing to Jesus and all others nearby.
