Man-istry

When does real ministry take place?  Or better yet, what is real ministry?  Unfortunately, ministry over the years has become a title, position, or a even just a job to some people.  Once ministry has started down this ugly road of self-proclaiming victories, it has officially become what I will call, “man-istry”.  Man-istry is when the spiritual, God-centered calling/anointing upon someone’s life to be a “change agent” for Christ has fallen down the proverbial “rabbit hole” of mediocrity and flesh-driven motivations.  Man-istry is about making a name for yourself, it’s about being able to brag about the number of people in your church, it’s about going to the office and it just being an office, it’s about living a separate life outside of church, it’s about seeking what is best for the image (minister or church) not for the character (minister or church).  The list can go on and on here!  Man-istry really is the opposite of what God has designed his ministry to be.  It’s when the man (person) has become the go-to guy, the shot-caller, the point-person, the final-say, you catching my drift?  It’s when the person, the personality, or any other human origins have become the focus and center point of decision making, preparation, marriages, leadership, and again the list goes on!

In my last post, I discussed how the Holy Spirit desires to team up with us (man) to accomplish his great work on earth. When this desire of God’s becomes a reality through us, that’s when real “ministry” starts to take place.  Real ministry is when the Holy Spirit is centrally active and at work in a person to change and influence lives, families, cultures, communities and nations.  That person then makes the conscious decision to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit to influence a sinful world with the love of Jesus Christ!  Ministry and Man-istry can both take place in the form of relationships, conversations, a sermon, prayer, watching a football game with co-workers, spending time with your spouse and children, humanitarian work, and again the list goes on and on.  But the active role of the Holy Spirit in a persons life is what separates what I have defined as “man-istry” from “ministry”.  These two can occur under just about any circumstance under the sun but as long as the Holy Spirit is working through you to show Christ to others and advance the Kingdom of God, real ministry will take place!  THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE DIFFERENCE MAKER!

My prayer is that more people called and anointed by the Lord Jesus will surrender “all” in their respective ministries and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.  Don’t fall into the hole of “man-istry”!  It is a very large hole and it goes very deep!  Time is too short to not take our calling to ministry very seriously!  Why?  Because, there are many more people to be healed, many more to be filled, many more to be saved, many more to be changed by the gospel of Jesus Christ!

Let’s keep ministry in perspective folks!  It’s about HIM, and THEM!