THOUGHTS ON THE LORD’S DAY

”The myth of full-time ministry.”

Some full-time ministers are called to a life of training and empowering those God has called to serve on the front lines. Others are called to serve full-time on the front lines as marketplace ministers, “salt and light,” to those still in spiritual darkness.

If you still believe the myth that some have a spiritual calling and others have a secular job, resign your ”job” today and accept your God-given call to the marketplace as a full-time minister of the Gospel.

Every ministry calling is important and every calling matters, regardless of where you serve out that calling. Christians do not have a spiritual life and a secular life. They have one life that is meant to be lived spiritually in a secular society.

The separation of clergy and laity, neither term is biblical. These terms have done more to reduce the impact and influence of the church where it’s needed most, the marketplace, than any other single factor.

Our marketplace ministry, our families and time spent with our church family must all be approached in the light of God’s calling and passionately pursued as worship! Avodah is the Hebrew word for work and worship. God intended our work to be our worship and our worship to be our work, one seamless walk with God.

Without this sense of deep and profound calling in everything we do, we simply race through our daily lives, attack our “to do” lists, tag on a couple of weekly church services and squeeze in a daily devotional. I hardly believe this is what God intended as the model for today’s marketplace ministers.

Your ministry calling, it’s not about your will but His, regardless of your ministry position. It’s not about your personal fulfillment, but personal faithfulness, regardless of our ministry location. It’s not about your contribution, but your consecration to the One who called you, regardless of your gifting, ability and place of service.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” Colossians 3:23

Why would God empower anyone to do a secular job? Why would He not empower everyone who answers His call, regardless of where that call leads?