MAKING A CONTRIBUTION

You were made to make a contribution, not just to consume! 

Ephesians 2:10 (NKJV) For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

God made you to make a difference.  And what matters is not how long you live, but how you live. What matters is not the duration of your life, but what you do with the life you have. We’re all meant to give something back.  We’re all meant to make a contribution.  The Bible says we’re created to serve.

Now the Bible has a word for this, it’s called “MINISTRY”.  This is a misunderstood word.  When I say the word “minister” most people think of priest or pastor.  But the Bible says every believer is a minister.  Now, not every believer is a pastor, but every believer is a minister.  Ministry simply means using my gifts, abilities, personality, to help someone else in the name of God.  Any time you use your talents, your abilities, your background, your experiences to help someone else, you know what that’s called?  Ministering.  And you know what you are?  You’re a minister. 

In the Bible the word “service” and “ministry” are the same word.    So all of us are called to ministry.  So you say “I’m not called to ministry”.  Oh yes you are!  If you are called to salvation, you are called to serve. Any time you use your talent to help someone else, you are ministering.  You are serving.   

Now the good news is that God not only created us for service, He gave us a model in Jesus. You were created to be like Jesus Christ, and what did Christ do while He was here on earth?  He served.  Notice this next verse. Jesus said, "Your attitude must be like my own, for I, the Messiah, did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give my life as a ransom for many." Matthew 20:28 (TLB)

Note the following, because it is very important.  Your ministry is determined by who you are in your gifts, heart, ability, personality and experiences.  You want to know what God wants you to do with your life?  Look at your heart, abilities, personality, experiences and spiritual gifts.

One day Napoleon pointed at a map of China and he said, “There lies a sleeping giant.  If it ever wakes up it will shake the world.” I can’t tell you the number of times I have looked out over the church and said “There is a sleeping giant.  If everyone who attended Church, served; what kind of enormous spiritual explosion, would take over our church and community?”

Serving God is far more important than your career, it’s far more important than your hobbies, it’s even more important than everything else you can think of because they aren’t going to last. However, your service to God will last eternally.  You were put here on earth to practice serving.

Read: John 13:1-9 & Matthew 20:25-28