Every Christian should be involved in some kind of ministry. Ephesians 4:11-12 says, “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” Every “Saint” (Christian) is supposed to be equipped for their own ministerial appointment. They are equipped through the work of the five-fold officers of the church. You might never be called into the office of an apostle, prophet, evangelist or pastor. It does not mean you are not holy or righteous. The important truth here is to understand that we need diverse kinds of calling and gifts to manifest the glory of God here on earth.
The word “ministry” has taken on a religious sense amongst Christians. But in the real sense of it, ministry means a kind of public service. “Ministry” is from the Greek word diakoneo, meaning “to serve” or douleuo, meaning “to serve as a slave.” A minister is someone that serves the general public as a slave would serve their master. This is the real innovation of the Christian faith. Jesus insisted that he came to serve, and not to be served. And now, it is your turn to serve the public. Any service you do for the public, without any apparent gain for your person counts as a ministry. Ministry is not restricted to preaching the word of God. Ministry is any undertaking that is done selflessly, without a profit motive, for the glory of God.
You discover your ministry the day you decide how you want to serve the public in the manner of a slave. This could be through preaching and discipling others. But there are also thousands of other things you could be doing that counts as ministry. The Holy Spirit is ready to lead you into your own ministry. As you submit yourself for training and discipleship from the five-fold officers God has placed over you. You will grow into your own ministry. You can serve the public as part of the government (Romans 13:1-5). You can operate with a ministerial mind in business. Doing business, not for unrighteous profits, but as a tool to serve humanity in a sustainable way. There is always the important task of educating the next generation as well. There are ministries everywhere. You just need to open your eyes.
