Hello Friends,
I have no art for you today; just some thoughts from my bible reading this morning. I have been reading the book of Ephesians in The Passion Translation. I highly recommend this translation. It is like reading the bible afresh, as almost for the first time.
"And he has appointed some in the body with grace to BE (my emphasis) apostles, and some with grace to BE prophets, and some with grace to BE evangelists, and some with grace to BE pastors, and some with grace to BE teachers. And their calling is to nurture and prepare all the holy believers to DO their own works of ministry, and as they do this they will enlarge and build up the body of
Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-12 TPT)
Those with the divine callings are instructed to nurture and prepare other believers to DO their own works of ministry. They are not told to prepare the holy believers to BE but to DO.
These works of ministry seem not so attached to the believer's persona as to what, perhaps, she is good at DOing. The prophet is born to BE a prophet and is meant to always BE a prophet. The average believer may DO different works of ministry at different times in her life, whatever she has grace to DO at each stage of her life.
As a child she may be able to witness to and pray for her classmates; as a teen and young adult she may have opportunities for mission trips; as a young mother her main ministry may be her family; as an empty-nester she may lead study groups or take mission trips; as a senior she may devote herself to prayer and may flow in the prophetic.
"Whatever you do, do your work heartily as for the Lord rather than for men." (Col. 3:23 NAS)
Many believers stress out over what our'callings' are when it may simply be to do the work in front of us, but to do it with love for God and others.
Mother Theresa was known to say, "Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love."
My prayer:
Loving Heavenly Father, I ask for the grace to do the work set before me today; to do it heartily, as unto you, and to do it with great love.
I have no art for you today; just some thoughts from my bible reading this morning. I have been reading the book of Ephesians in The Passion Translation. I highly recommend this translation. It is like reading the bible afresh, as almost for the first time.
"And he has appointed some in the body with grace to BE (my emphasis) apostles, and some with grace to BE prophets, and some with grace to BE evangelists, and some with grace to BE pastors, and some with grace to BE teachers. And their calling is to nurture and prepare all the holy believers to DO their own works of ministry, and as they do this they will enlarge and build up the body of
Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-12 TPT)
Those with the divine callings are instructed to nurture and prepare other believers to DO their own works of ministry. They are not told to prepare the holy believers to BE but to DO.
These works of ministry seem not so attached to the believer's persona as to what, perhaps, she is good at DOing. The prophet is born to BE a prophet and is meant to always BE a prophet. The average believer may DO different works of ministry at different times in her life, whatever she has grace to DO at each stage of her life.
As a child she may be able to witness to and pray for her classmates; as a teen and young adult she may have opportunities for mission trips; as a young mother her main ministry may be her family; as an empty-nester she may lead study groups or take mission trips; as a senior she may devote herself to prayer and may flow in the prophetic.
"Whatever you do, do your work heartily as for the Lord rather than for men." (Col. 3:23 NAS)
Many believers stress out over what our'callings' are when it may simply be to do the work in front of us, but to do it with love for God and others.
Mother Theresa was known to say, "Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love."
My prayer:
Loving Heavenly Father, I ask for the grace to do the work set before me today; to do it heartily, as unto you, and to do it with great love.
2 comments:
Beautiful! Thank you! :o)
Thank you...great wisdom in this post. I am always amazed at how God leads me from commenting on one blog to another amazing blog with good insight. Blessings on your day.
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