Back home at the church I attended where I got my start in ministry, I participated and assisted in almost every ministry of the church. From sweeping the floors, to driving the van, to teaching. Creating church bulletins, to counting the money, to assisting with funerals. One thing that I have seen in all that, is how we view ministry. And of all the areas I want to discuss the most, it’s the minister.
A lot of times, we view being a minister as an elevation or promotion in the church. We feel that since I’ve done so good and living right, God will decide to reward me with a title. Let’s not get what being a minister is all about twisted. Me personally, I spent three years as a deacon before I started preaching, and was later licensed as a minister to serve in the church. But even though I served as a deacon, a teacher was always who I was. So for me, it was no promotion nor elevation, because who I am God created and appointed me when He breathed the breath of life into me. So I count this duty as an honor that He would choose me for the work and gift me for a purpose.
Key words in what I just said are ‘duty’ and ‘work’. It’s not about the prestige, or the fancy suits/dresses, or all the attention we get because we now have minister in front of our names. Male ministers getting all the attention from the women, and female ministers fighting off men because of their anointing. It’s not about a title that grants us special privileges or social status. True, we are set apart, but we are set apart to do work. Let’s look at two things.
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First, a scripture from Matthew 20:26-28
26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many..
Now, let’s look at the dictionary.
Minister
one who serves, as distinguished from the master. (1.) Heb. meshereth, applied
to an attendant on one of superior rank, as to Joshua, the servant of Moses
(Ex. 33:11), and to the servant of Elisha (2 Kings 4:43). This name is also
given to attendants at court (2 Chr. 22:8), and to the priests and Levites
(Jer. 33:21; Ezek. 44:11).
(2.) Heb. pelah (Ezra 7:24), a “minister” of
religion. Here used of that class of sanctuary servants called “Solomon’s
servants” in Ezra 2:55-58 and Neh. 7:57-60.
(3.) Greek leitourgos, a
subordinate public administrator, and in this sense applied to magistrates
(Rom. 13:6). It is applied also to our Lord (Heb. 8:2), and to Paul in relation
to Christ (Rom. 15:16).
(4.) Greek hyperetes (literally, “under-rower”), a
personal attendant on a superior, thus of the person who waited on the
officiating priest in the synagogue (Luke 4:20). It is applied also to John
Mark, the attendant on Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:5).
(5.) Greek diaconos,
usually a subordinate officer or assistant employed in relation to the ministry
of the gospel, as to Paul and Apollos (1 Cor. 3:5), Tychicus (Eph. 6:21),
Epaphras (Col. 1:7), Timothy (1 Thess. 3:2), and also to Christ (Rom. 15:8).
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What we see is that as a minister we are a representative and a servant. We are to aid in some form or fashion. We are either assisting the Pastor or whomever has top leadership in an organization or church or we are assisting people. We represent Christ as well as His Word as we give service to the people. We are to be living examples of the Word of God while exhibiting all the characteristics of His Spirit. We are to love, share joy, live in and keep peace, show patience, be kind, show goodness, be faithful, always gentle, and have self-control in all areas of our lives. Through our lives do we teach others how to live the same way..
