Wait…You Are Not A REAL Pastor?
A lot of people I know are in full-time ministry. I have to admit, when I hear that someone is in full-time ministry, I feel a little saddened that I am not. But wait! I am in full time ministry and SO ARE YOU!
1 Peter 4:10 confirms the fact that everyone who claims Christ is in the full time ministry. “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”
So I was driving to work this morning. I live 32 miles from my office at which I work as a buyer for a fairly large grocery chain. As I hit the DC Beltway, and the 2 hour traffic jam that went along with it, I sat there in my car asking God if Paul, a tentmaker by trade, ever had days when he woke up, looked outside at his camel, and said “I just don’t feel like fighting the traffic today and meeting with Ibrahim about this tent he wants me to build. I think I am just going to stay in bed”
Paul was arguably one of the greatest evangelists, church planters, and all around teachers of the Christian faith that ever lived. But, apart from the travel time between his letters and his time in jail, he most likely spent quite a lot of his time making tents.
Just imagine the conversations Paul had while he was making his tents. He was able to show Christ, both through word and action, to most likely a population that did not know Him. Who knows how many people came to Christ just from seeing how Paul dealt with them. Don’t underestimate your non-verbal testimony to people. Colossians 4:5 says, “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.”
So I went through my two hour commute and ended up at the office. As I spoke to people while walking from the parking garage to the office, I had the opportunity to share some general pleasantries to people. I learned more about them and they learned about me. And ultimately, I had an opportunity to show Christ to people I never would have had the opportunity to share with if I had slept in.
So I am a pastor. And an evangelist. And a teacher. Not because I am going to seminary and hope to end up as a full time pastor in the next few years, but because I shared simply with some people on the elevator in the office.
Go be a tentmaker (or whatever your day job is) for God.
“Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” Romans 12:13
boyradd 
Fred!!
This is such truth!
I sooo often wish I was in full time ministry, and grumble because I can’t devote more time to spreading JOY.
but i also know that every single day that i’m spreading joy for any amount of time, engaging others in my day job…that I too…and being an ambassador for Christ.
thanks for the reminder!
@spreadingJOY
Thanks Marie. It is something I feel we all need to be reminded about every so often. And God doesn’t pull us or push us back into remembering our ambassador status, but He loves us back into remembering. It is so amazing to love God.
I’m so thankful I have a wonderful gentleman who I work with who always pours into me right when I get to work and reminds me that I need to shine the light of Christ with everyone I work with and the customers who come into the store. I know the opportunities really are endless. No matter where we are we can be the hands and feet of God! PS I’m glad I don’t have a camel. He’d probably spit on me.
HAHA! Camel spit. Epic! You are very blessed, Mimi. I work for a blatantly non-Christian company. I sometimes feel like Joseph in Egpyt. But we are blessed, and the world is watching us to see if we are doing this for real or just playing Christian. You are ROCKIN’ the Proverbs 31! lol.
The last year has really been amazing in that I have openly and willingly grown so much closer to The Christ than ever before. I was even blessed to have my first opportunity to do a Short Term Missionary adventure through Joni and Friends that was simply amazing. As I enjoy my closer walk with Him, I see the way others view me and I’m reminded just how important our actions really are in our daily lives. People take notice. A co-worker teased me last week because she says my music is “all Hallelujah all the time”. Haha. Not 100% true, but I got the gist. She sees me as a woman of Christ. How awesome!