How Should We Then Work by Jonathan Dobson
by Joseph Louthan
I have always preached that we should all do an excellent job in order to honor our employers, the very leaders that God has placed in charged over us, in order to show Him all the glory and be a witness to how good Jesus Christ really is.
I know that many people (including myself) have been called into full time ministry. At the moment, however, God is still preparing, enabling and teaching us. Many of us are not in seminaries and bible college but working as salt in the earth (Matthew 5:13) in different jobs.
I know that some of us have a really tough time keeping their “eyes on the prize” (so to speak) and our work in some way is suffering.
If you are transitioning from secular to full time ministry, my plead to you is to finish strong!
I know Paul mentions the following verses as far as finishing in ministry. I think it does apply to our situation:
2 Timothy 4:5 (ESV) As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
Keep a clear mind. (1 Peter 1:13)
Endure suffering. (Hebrews 10:36)
Do the work of an evangelist. (Mark 16:15)
Fulfill the ministry that God has given you at this very moment.
Then you can say:
2 Timothy 4:6-7 (ESV) For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
How Should We Then Work by Jonathan Dobson © 2008 TheResurgence.com
Comments
I understand what you are saying Joe, but my question to you is…why can’t you work full time AND minister to others?
Teehee!
Ephesians 4:11-12 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
Who are the saints? All of us.
What is the work of the ministry? Proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.
No matter what we do, we should always do the work of ministry whether that be pray for one another, help one another, love one another, etc.
There is a small precentage of us who are called to equip and train the saints to do the work.
I don’t care what you have seen on T.V. with these teleevangelists with lots of gold, Bentleys and private jets (consequently also not preaching the gospel of Christ), being called by Christ is a kicked to the teeth.
Or as one of my favorite teachers put it:
“Back in high school, during the spring which was football offseason, we would continue to practice to work on timing with no pads. Occasionally, the offence and defence would scrimmage. I was the quarterback with a red t-shirt (which means ‘DONT HIT ME’). I go back for the pass and of course, some dumb defencive linebacker would freakin’ blindside me. I release the pass and left myself WIDE open and he runs into me. Perfectly timed so that when he makes contact with me, his knee hits me square in the nuts.
I fall backwards but blackout before I hit the ground.
I wake up and in the midst of trying to decide to either throwup or blackout again, all of my teammates are standing around laughing at me.
That is exactly what it means to go into fulltime ministry.”
LOL, understood.
Come on dood, I’m from the car biz…working 40 hours a week is part-time to me! I can’t wrap the fact that most people only work one job around my feeble little mind.
I am pretty sure you are part Jamaican
But on that note…
We don’t need to do fulltime ministry in order to do ministry. I am perfectly happy to do something else while teaching or preaching.