THOUGHTS ON THE LORD’S DAY
“Where do I fit in ministry?”
A man’s gift makes room for him” Proverbs 18:16. Notice it doesn’t say your education, talents or abilities. God has put a gift, a spiritual deposit, for which the world will make room. Don’t push and shove your way. Let your gift open the door.
Seven ways your gift will determine where you experience the most Kingdom success:
First, your walk with God prepares you and motivates you to use your gift. “Enoch walked with God until he was not.” Your walk with God must be deliberate, regulated and requires trust. Walk with God before you walk with your brothers. Walk with your brothers in love before you walk among the heathen by faith.
Second, you spiritual gift enables you for your ministry assignment. Because you have a gift doesn’t mean you are ready to operate. It needs developed. Without spiritual and emotional maturity, you will do more damage than good. Find a mentor with the same gift and be a dry sponge.
Third, your heart’s passion determines the focus of your gift. What energizes you? What concerns you? What do you think is important? What pulls your heart strings? Invest your time, energy and resources in those things and you will live a life of fulfillment. God gives you the desires of your heart. They come from no one else.
Fourth, your gift is expressed through your personality. Understand and embrace who you are and who you are not. Understand how you relate to yourself and others through your personality temperament. This helps you understand why some things in life come easier than others. You must learn and accept how you build relational equity, your leadership style, servant attitude, communicate and speak, handle pressure and resolve conflicts.
Fifth, your gift is developed and matured through life experiences. The Apostle Paul said, all things work together for God’s good. God’s good always produces our best outcomes. God uses your experiences to develop you for the good works for which you were created. God’s ultimate good is conforming us to His image.
Sixth, your assignment utilizes and maximizes your gift. Do what you were created, gifted, called and anointed to do. Never let others determine your assignment. Say yes to God and Lord willing to everyone else. A need doesn’t always determine the call for your life. The hardest ministry you will ever do is the one to which God has not called you.
Finally, God’s favor endorses and opens doors for your ministry gift. Positions, titles, offices, education, money and personality may open some doors. However, only God’s favor opens the right doors. God will guide and get you to where you need to be without a website, brochures and man’s endorsement.
These are aids. However, they should never be a substitute for God’s favor. God will bless a supplement. But, He will curse a substitute. Remember the “strange fire” that was offered? It didn’t work out too well.
Where do you fit? Where will you experience God’s favor, anointing and Kingdom success? Wherever God makes room for the gift he deposited in you when He gave you life. Those who touch your life every day are waiting for the manifestation of that gift! You may not be a fit for everyone, but rest assured you are a fit for someone.