Focus
Prepare yourself to discern what is and what is not of God today. Still yourself so you can hear how God is calling you.
Read
The Collection for Christians at Jerusalem
9 Now it is not necessary for me to write you about the ministry to the saints, 2 for I know your eagerness, which is the subject of my boasting about you to the people of Macedonia, saying that Achaia has been ready since last year; and your zeal has stirred up most of them. 3 But I am sending the brothers in order that our boasting about you may not prove to have been empty in this case, so that you may be ready, as I said you would be; 4 otherwise, if some Macedonians come with me and find that you are not ready, we would be humiliated—to say nothing of you—in this undertaking. 5 So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you, and arrange in advance for this bountiful gift that you have promised, so that it may be ready as a voluntary gift and not as an extortion.
6 The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. 9 As it is written,
“He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever.”
10 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us; 12 for the rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God. 13 Through the testing of this ministry you glorify God by your obedience to the confession of the gospel of Christ and by the generosity of your sharing with them and with all others, 14 while they long for you and pray for you because of the surpassing grace of God that he has given you. 15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
Reflect
Ministry requires giving. It requires the giving of time, effort, thought, support, and yes money. All these things that it takes to do ministry are secondary to the ability to see a need. It is seeing a need that leads us to develop ministries. A cheerful giver is someone that sees a need and is thankful for the opportunity to be involved. Now, there is a truth that as a church we should never forget, if the church wants to do a ministry to meet a need, God will be right beside us providing, supporting, guiding, and strengthening. We should always remember that God is right there to bless our work and if there is any need, we should pray and ask God to provide. If we are willing, God is more than willing to help us. God is more than willing to provide. The key to all of this seems to revolve around one simple thing, we must be willing and able to see a need and then develop and carry out a ministry. It is this faith, trust, and giving that tells God and the world around us, that we are ready to be a part in making things better. God loves and desires to support a disciple that is willing to serve. God loves a cheerful giver.
Pray
God, help us to see the needs around us. Help us to create the ministries to meet those needs. Help us to be willing to give our time, effort, thought, support, and yes, our money to do the work to meet the needs that we see. God, also help us to knock upon that door and ask for what we need to do ministry. Lastly God, help us to find joy in the work that we do with you. Amen
