Racing along the beach as the moonlight hits the water, I dash toward the figure running toward me. I have a pile of papers to grade, a house in desperate need of attention, and a writing deadline to complete in less than 48 hours, and here I am running through the sand and trying to guard my team’s home base. I feel every bit of my nearly 38 years, but what might appear to the ordinary spectator to be simply a game of capture the flag is to me an investment in the living church.
If we truly understand God’s Word, we understand that no believers live unto themselves. We’re the living stones set upon the Chief Cornerstone (1 Peter 2:4-5). To be unconcerned about the lives of those around me—to place my own spiritual growth at the apex of my Christian experience—is to miss the very heart of God.
Ministry isn’t about me. That’s a difficult concept to grasp when we come to church expecting to have our needs met—looking for programs that best suit our interests.
Far from convenient, I chose to give up a weekend so that the next generation would know that Jesus has called them to greatness in the kingdom. While that might sound impressive, living by that precept has been far from romantic. Investing in others—whether they’re children, teenagers, or adults—can be time-consuming, messy, and downright exhausting. The overwhelming message in Paul’s ministerial admonition to Timothy, however, is not whether Timothy should invest in others, but how he should do so (1 Timothy 4:11–5:2).
Christian doctrine isn’t simply about knowledge. It points us to transformational living (1 Timothy 4:12,16). And at the heart of all Christian doctrine is the call to relationship (1 Timothy 5:1-2)—first with Jesus, then with others (Mark 12:30-33). Do we consider the investment to be worth it?
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Genesis 22:1-19
More:
Read 2 Timothy 1:1-7 to see how God uses a variety of sources to bring about sound doctrine and a strong foundation in our relationship with Jesus.
Next:
When you step through the front doors of your local church, what’s the first thought that enters your mind? Why must we keep our personal growth a priority?
bluefigtoast on January 13, 2012 at 12:39 am
What a perfect message. It is all about investing time in the life of another. People need to see our lives working, not our mouths moving.
Wayno
regina franklin on January 13, 2012 at 7:47 pm
Well said, bluefigtoast–“People need to see our lives working, not our mouths moving.” When we live with focused vision, ministry becomes the overflow of what God is already doing in us.
shalomiom on January 13, 2012 at 5:14 am
LIVE SIMPLY, LOVE GENEROUSLY,
CARE DEEPLY, SPEAK KINDLY
tim gustafson on January 13, 2012 at 9:36 am
Thanks again for this reminder, Regina! Time and again, I get my priorities out of whack, living by the world’s idea of deadlines. Jesus was never, ever in a hurry. Why am I always rushed?
regina franklin on January 13, 2012 at 7:50 pm
Dear Tim–I think we often feel rushed not only because we get caught up in the terminal time of this world but also because we are well aware that we are stewards. We just sometimes need our perspective refocused–function is important, but only insomuch as it reaches the real prize–people.
mike wittmer on January 14, 2012 at 1:22 pm
Right on! I took your advice and put my work aside long enough to play a card game with my daughter. She beat me, but I still think I may have won something too.
regina franklin on January 14, 2012 at 4:01 pm
Dear Mike–Those days are priceless. May the Lord continue to bless your relationship with your daughter and may she someday choose a man who readily puts the Word into action.