A Life Focused on Christ First

October 29, 2007December 27, 2010 Jon Zenor

For my class “Practical Christian Ministry” at CCBC I have to read a book called “On Being a Servant of God” by Warren W. Wiersbe. The focus of the class is to teach you how to have an effective ministry, and the book by Warren Wiersbe is to give you the advice that he wishes he was given when he first started out.

I’m not very far along in this book yet, but every single chapter so far has been a treasure trove of information. Some things seem like common sense, but still things that we need to be reminded of because of how often we forget. Other points that he brings up are things that I have never thought of before, but every one of them I can see helping someone who is either in charge of, or helping out a ministry.

Some of these things, however, I can see being a huge help in not only a ministry, but in your own personal life too. And as I thought about it, it all made perfect sense. Every one of us has a ministry of our own, we are called to it as Christians and we serve in it if we know it or not. Every Christian is called to carry his cross, spread the gospel to the nations, and to love our neighbors. So this gives me an entirely new outlook on this book, not only can it help someone out in a ministry, but if they apply the same things to their own life then it will make a dramatic impact in your life as well.

I could give an overview of the entire book, but that would take too long, so I want to focus on only one chapter. Chapter seven deals with how our main focus in ministry is to put the Lord first, not people (Col 3:23-24). Here are a few reasons why:

You will be motivated to do your work and not look for excuses.

If you work just for your salary, you will never do your best as long as you feel like you are being underpaid. If you minister just to get recognition you will never do as much when people don’t show their appreciation. The only motivation that will take you through the storms and keep you on the job is, “I’m serving Jesus Christ.”

You want to do your best.

Most of us would do something for somebody we really love, when we really care about somebody we work hard to give them our best. If you are serving God as number one in your life, then nothing will be too great a sacrifice for you, and you won’t even consider it a sacrifice. Look at what Jesus sacrificed for us because He loved us so much, imagine how we can serve God if we show Him the same type of love and devotion.

The burden is light.

Matthew 11:30 Jesus says “For My Yoke is easy and My burden is light.” I would rather have Jesus Christ as my master than anybody else. He provides the power I need to serve Him, and the forgiveness when I mess up.

You stop watching other Christians and passing judgment on what they do or what God does with them.

People watching is a popular pastime among Christian workers (and just among church goers), but it’s a dangerous one. If you keep your eyes of faith on Christ and seek to please Him alone, you won’t have either the time or the desire to watch others. Have you complained because God gave others a better deal than He gave you? Perhaps the people don’t seem to work as hard as you do, or maybe they haven’t’ been in Christian service as long as you have; yet God bypassed you and rewarded them abundantly. Satan can use a thing like that to get a foothold in your life, make you bitter, and create problems in your ministry. But if you work for Christ alone, you won’t be bothered by what other workers do or what God does for them. Nor will you try to make bargains with God to be sure you get your rightful share. If you do, you’ll be the loser because God still gives His best to those who let Him write the contract.

John 21:22b
“what is that to you? You follow Me.” It shouldn’t matter to us how God treats others, all that matters is that we follow Jesus. With or without reward, with or without suffering, with or without recognition, we need to just follow Jesus.

Ministry isn’t easy, but you make it more difficult for yourself if you serve people instead of the Lord Jesus Christ. You can’t please everybody, so don’t even try. Just live and work in such a way that your Master will be able to say, “You are My beloved servant in whom I am well pleased.”

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A Life Focused on Christ First

Jon Zenor

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