FOCUSING ON THE SPIRITUAL NEED

I was challenged the other day as to the depth of my faith. It was suggested that I was not in love with ministry to the level I needed to be to be truly effective in it long term. Despite my initial protestations to the contrary I realize (after some serious deliberation) that they are right.

We need to be so grateful to those people in our lives who are prepared to bite the bullet, take the flak and tell us the truth. Thankfully my pastor is such a person. His observation has prompted me to consider strategies for falling further in love with ministry and, since ministry is the way in which we serve Christ, this surely requires me to fall further in love with Christ.

The Holy Spirit tends to speak to me first thing in the morning, after I’ve had time to sleep on an issue. This morning’s “word” was “Focus on the Spiritual need”.

At first glance this might seem obvious for anybody wanting to step into Christian ministry – but I don’t think it is. It certainly isn’t to me.

Up to now I’ve been following the principle that the Christian walk is about reading the Bible regularly, praying regularly and living an exemplary lifestyle to impress people and encourage them to duplicate; believing that by focusing on the practical needs of others I will ultimately inspire them to make the appropriate spiritual adjustments. It’s not working.

So what does it mean to “Focus on the Spiritual need”? Well, for me that doesn’t necessarily mean to preach fire and brimstone at people to make them aware of the terrible fate that awaits them if they don’t accept Christ (although this may sometimes be a technique I am called upon to use). Rather, I think it means to look beyond the obvious practical need that is manifesting in the moment and seek out the spiritual need behind it.

This means no more knee-jerk reactions to worldly situations but prayerful, considered, tactical responses to the spiritual deficits and issues behind them.

Christians often cite the question: “What would Jesus do?” in developing strategies for dealing with any given situation, but perhaps the better question to ask is “What does Jesus SEE?” before attempting to solve the issue.

I am not posting this blog as an article espousing my opinion on this issue to challenge or garner the approval of other bloggers (something I know I have done in the past) but rather as an open journal inviting insight and observation that might help me better understand it.

I want to hunger after ministry as my Pastor does because I want to grow closer to Christ. I want to be able to see beyond the obvious, physical needs of people and discern the spiritual issues behind them. I want the wisdom to help them develop strategies for dealing with them – THIS IS WHAT I HUNGER FOR!

I stopped blogging for a couple of months because I failed to see the point. I felt I was preaching to the converted, trying to impress my peers with my intellect. Where is the ministry in this?

I realize now that blogging affords a much more profound opportunity – to share issues and concerns with like-minded Christians and invite their input into serious issues of life, faith and theology.

"The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks".

"Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete." AMEN!