Designed For Ministry

God wants us to find our calling and serve in His great ministry to humanity. But this isn't based on the off chance that we have some kind of gifts and we happen to fall into the right situation. Rather, we were designed for ministry. God's designed us for ministry and good works that glorify Him.

In the Epistle to the Ephesians, we can find a powerful expression of this. We are reminded of the gift of grace given to us and how our natural response should be service and gratitude. 

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. ~Ephesians 2:1-10 (NIV)

Before we ever came to Christ, God prepared good works for us. When we discover grace and are made new, we set out to find our purpose and do these good works. We are God's workmanship and were created through Jesus to serve in something far greater and far bigger than ourselves.


How do you define yourself?

Student. Teacher. Citizen. Voter. Republican. Democrat. Independent. Liberal. Conservative. Libertarian. Creationist. Evolutionist. Christian. Father. Mother. Brother. Sister. Son. Daughter. Scientist. Engineer. Doctor. Nurse. Chef. Server. Waitress. Waiter. Mechanic. Plumber. Clerk. Salesman. Young. Old. Middle-aged. Boss. Employee. Temp. Writer. Reader. Gamer. Nerd. Geek. Techie. Old-fashioned. Modern. Hip. Retro. Postmodern. Reactionary. Radical. New age. Organic. Cheap. Traditional....

The list is neverending. We could define ourselves by many, many titles and adjectives. At some point, when we have described ourselves thoroughly enough, we are totally unique and different than any other person on the planet.

However, there is one title all believers must begin to embrace.

Minister.

We have been designed for good works. We have been set apart to serve. And as we can see in 1 Peter 2, we are also a royal priesthood that serves God through Jesus Christ.

As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. ~1 Peter 2:4-5,9-10

So while you search for your specific role in God's plan, embrace the knowledge that you have one clear role. You are a minister of God. You have been designed for great things. And you have a direct connection to our God through the priesthood granted to us through Jesus Christ.