“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord...To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” 1 Corinthians 12:4,5,7
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Ministers all Any pastor will tell you that, in His church, 20 percent of the people do the work while 80 percent of the people let themselves be ministered to by others. For most people, being a Christian means going to church, going to Sunday school and perhaps a Bible study, and, you know, trying to avoid scandalous sin.
As far as giving themselves in ministry to others, that’s not on their agenda. They’re happy to give money to support those who minister, and they’re even pleased to be ministered to by those who teach or otherwise serve in the church. But for them to reach out and give themselves in some form of ministry to others, well, that isn’t a part of their understanding of what it means to be a Christian.
But we are only really a Christian if we have the Spirit of Christ. And if we have the Spirit of Christ, as Paul makes clear in our text, we are going to seek opportunities to serve others, by word and deed, with the love of Jesus Christ. It’s no use protesting that we’ve never done that sort of thing before, or we’re uncomfortable talking with others about our faith. If the Spirit indwells you, He will feed you from the Word of God – for which you will find yourself increasingly hungry – and He will form you increasingly into the image of Jesus Christ. You will be primed and prepped for ministry. All you’ll need is for the opportunity to arise before you.
Serving like Jesus Jesus showed us what this entails in His ministry to the disciples in the upper room (Jn. 13:1-15). We will know that the Spirit of God is in us when we find ourselves acting like Jesus did in that situation. He was alert to the needs of those around Him. The disciples had just come in from the dusty road and were about to sit down to eat. They needed to have their feet washed, and there was no servant available for the task. Jesus probably wasn’t the only one in that room who observed this need, but He was the only one who acted to meet it. They whom the Spirit is equipping and preparing for works of ministry make it their business to pay attention to the needs of the people around them, and to trust God to use them in some way to meet those needs.
Second, Jesus took action. Had He ever washed someone’s feet before? We don’t know. Certainly He had seen it done, and even if He’d never done it Himself, He didn’t let that stop Him. He took off His outer garment, wrapped a towel around Him, and took the basin from disciple to disciple, pouring water, washing their feet, and toweling them off. Jesus saw the need, and He took up the equipment He required in order to help. This is what people do in whom the Spirit of God dwells. As you begin to discover the needs of those around you, you will want to prepare yourself to meet that need, or to enlist those who can help you to do so.
Finally, Jesus stayed the course in His ministry to the disciples, even in the face of an embarrassing run-in with Peter. Peter made a big deal out of not wanting the Lord to wash his feet. But Jesus persevered, gently but firmly insisting that He had been sent by God for this purpose, and He intended to see it through. So often, when people encounter difficulty or push-back in trying to serve others, they simply shrug their shoulders and walk away. But the Spirit of God keeps us on course until, by the love of Christ, we have finished the task for which He has equipped and appointed us.
The third effect of the indwelling Spirit of God is that we become equipped for works of ministry, using the gifts and strength of the Spirit to accomplish God’s purposes. Do you have this Spirit within you?
Next steps
Draw up a list of the people you see most frequently each week. Beside each name, write down one or two things you might do in order to minister the grace of the Lord to them – some word of kindness or deed of love. Begin praying for these people, then, day by day, work through your list of ways to serve them in Jesus’ name. Add to your list and stay at it until ministering in God’s Spirit becomes a more consistent part of your daily life.
Begin your own ViewPoint study group. Begin with this ViewPoint series, “The Effects of the Spirit.” A free PDF version is available, complete with questions for reflection and discussion which you can use to study the seven lessons in this series with others.
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture references are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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