FULFILLING YOUR MINISTRY

¹⁷ And say to Archippus, “See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.” – Colossians 4:17 ESV

Source: Google Images

Even though this particular verse was addressed to Archippus, the message is for all of us. The Word of God instructs us to take heed that we fulfill the ministry that has been entrusted to us. While God has graciously gifted and equipped us, making us able ministers of the New Covenant, it is not His plan that we launch out and toil on our own trying to fulfill our ministries.

Many times we get caught up in trying to do stuff for God, thinking we are pleasing Him in doing so, a notion that implies we are not as pleasing to Him when we are not busy doing ministry or ministry-related activities. The truth is, we are well pleasing to Him all along…whether we are busy ministering or not. We are well pleasing to our Father solely because of Jesus’ perfect sacrifice of Himself for us on that rugged cross.

Even before Jesus preached His first sermon or ever did His first miracle, this is what the Father said of His Only Begotten Son:

¹⁷ and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” – Matthew 3:17 ESV 

We are to fulfill our respective functions in the Body of Christ naturally, as it were, I mean you don’t tell a hand to be a hand, neither do you tell any body part to be that particular body part, it is already that part, you just let each part function as it was created to functions, let fingers do what fingers are supposed to do, legs, feet, arms and everything else likewise and voila… the body works in perfect harmony.

Now take that analogy and apply it to the Body of Christ with its different members, each functioning as it was graced and equipped to function, what love, what power, what grace! You see beloved, if we are to fulfill our ministries, then we’ll do well to take heed to do so. The question then becomes, “how do we TAKE HEED to fulfill our ministries”? The word “take” speaks of a willful, deliberate action that WE are responsible for.

One way we take heed to fulfill our ministries is simply by sitting at the feet of Jesus, by receiving from Him, spending time with Him, just enjoying Him and hanging out with Him, just Mary, Martha’s and Lazarus’ sister. While Martha was busy serving, Mary was busy receiving from the Lord. Martha ended up blaming Jesus and her sister.

⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”

⁴¹ And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. ⁴² But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” – Luke 10:40-42 NKJV

Mary ended up ministering to Jesus by anointing His feet with pure nard, an expensive perfume; Martha who had been busy serving, missed out on the opportunity to minister to Jesus. The thing is, the more we hang out with Jesus, the more we reflect Him and the more we reflect Him, the more effective we’ll be as His life will be flowing out of us, naturally as it were touching others and ministering to them.

Beloved, I would like to encourage you to get intimate with Jesus, spend time with Him, there’s no formula, just do it, speak to Him and expect Him to speak to you, He is with you and He is in you by His Spirit, share your day with Him, talk to Him about stuff you’re facing, discuss things with Him, get to know Him and to know His voice intimately. He is extremely interested in everything that is going on in your life; His love for you is everlasting. 

Remember, Jesus said He only did what He saw the Father doing. How did He see and hear the Father? He was in constant fellowship with Him, that’s how and He is calling us to nothing less than continual fellowship with the Godhead.

Let us not be like the Laodicean church; they were busy trusting in their own self-efforts, doing their own thing, ignoring Him who is the Amen, the faithful and true witness – the Risen Christ. The Lord Jesus, Perfect Love personified, had these solemn words for them:

¹⁹ Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. ²⁰ Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. – Revelation 3:19-20 NIV

Source: Google Images

As Jesus becomes our magnificent obsession, our numero uno priority, we will experience Him and all He has for us in far more glorious and powerful ways than we ever will, should we resort to trying to fulfill our ministries on our own.

I leave you with this relevant quote, beloved.

“Ministry is an outward flow of an inward life”.