“Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.” Colossians 4:17
“Take heed” means to consider, to think about, to look out for.
Literally, it means “to see” your ministry.
I must take regular, intentional time to think about, pray about, plan, and prepare my ministry – the ministry the Lord Jesus has assigned to me – or I may be in danger of missing the mark.
Intentional, thoughtful service is a hallmark of a mature believer.
When do you take time to think deeply and pray earnestly about your ministry?
It’s a widely circulated idea that as a leader you should “only do what only you can do”. In other words, focus on your calling and ignore other (potentially good) opportunities.
If lived out as a general rule, this idea has merit. It creates and maintains focus in our highest priorities, those pertaining to our calling.
Saying “no” to most things helps you say “yes” to the things you were made for.
But if adhered to rigidly, this idea becomes unbiblical quickly. It prevents me from serving in the moment. It prevents me from participating in Divine opportunities. It prevents me from following the Holy Spirit’s direction.
Sometimes I’m the “only” one God has asked, even though there are others who are more qualified.
And that qualifies me. It’s my opportunity.
There is a balance to find here.
Jesus made breakfast for the disciples on the beach. Clearly, others would have been qualified to start the fire. He took the opportunity to serve. (John 21:9).
I should do what only I can do (my calling) , and many times a little more (my opportunities).
I was recently asked by a friend how I plan my time as a full time ministry worker. In other words, how do I know when to work and when to have time off? Do I take a day off? Do I work 9 to 5 (that’s a joke)? What do I do?
We live in a world of amusement. Thinking is not a valuable proposition in our world. But Christians are to be a thinking people. The very nature of our doctrine demands that we think deeply about some things.
Life is not getting any slower. If you are reading this, you probably feel stressed, overloaded, and tired more often than not. You probably know that you need to take more time off, more time for your family, more time for yourself. The problem is, you don’t know where to find that time. In our current world, discretionary time seems to have disappeared. But what we are missing is not time. What we are missing is margin.
There are two things that can happen during a face to face meeting: creating content or sharing information. In terms of the workplace, face to face meetings should happen only when real time collaboration and discussion are necessary. They should not occur to simply share information. And yet, I imagine most of the meetings you attend fall into the informative category.
