Do you wonder how to serve God?
Sometimes we think that serving God means we need an official title of Sunday School teacher, choir director, Pastor, missionary etc. But God hasn’t called all of us in those areas. John Stott writes in his book Basic Christianity that
God calls every Christian to ‘ministry,’ that is, to service, to be the servant of other people for the sake of Christ. No Christian can live for himself any longer. What is not certain is what form this service will take. It might be the ordained ministry of the church, or some other kind of full-time church work at home or overseas. But it is a great mistake to suppose that every committed Christian is called to this. There are other forms of service which equally deserve the job description ‘Christian ministry’….Every form of work – medicine, research, the law, education, social service, central and local government, industry, business and trade – in which the worker sees himself as cooperating with God in the service of man. (p122)
God Calls us to be missionaries to our sphere of influence.
Acts 1:8 says “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Your community, family, neighbors, business associates, coworkers – these people are your Jerusalem. Serving God starts right where you are.
The Greatest Commandment is to love God and love others
Jesus said that the greatest commandment is to love God and love your neighbor. (Mark 12:30-31 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.)
We can make witnessing to others into big preachy phrases and a set of steps, but ultimately God wants us to show others His love to people. This could be simply through stopping to listen, sending a card, speaking an encouraging word or other ways in which we can show we care. When we love others, they will see Him and glorifying His name.
It starts with an attitude of the heart.
Expectancy– do you believe that God will use you? We want to live expecting Him to bring us people who need a touch of God’s love. Our mission as Christians is to serve a broken world, sometimes we don’t know where to start, but we can expect that God will use us.
Available – have you told God you are available to serve Him? Is it your desire to be used right where you are?
Prepared – if we want God to use us we need to be prepared. Prepared means that we have resources available to give people who have questions or who need encouragement. On our resource page, we have a list of books that we keep in supply so that when we meet someone who has a need of that book we can give it to them right then rather than having to order it and then give it to them weeks later. Walt carries a supply of books in his van while he is on the road doing locksmith jobs. Naomi has a supply in her sewing shop.
Part of preparation is being familiar with what might help someone at a given time. We do need to know how to share the plan of salvation, also being willing to pray for someone and listen to what their needs are. Remember all the people you encounter daily are hurting in some way. It could be divorce, a wandering child, financial crisis etc. People have real problems and real pain. Another part of preparation is working through your own pain, healing from you past and finding freedom in Christ. If you need further training in this area follow Victory is Now and grow in emotional and mental health.
When we are available and prepared, we can trust God to give us opportunity. We have done our part and we can trust God to do His. This work is not our own. It is for Him and He will bring the people to you when you make yourself available as a vessel for Him to use.
The following is an introduction from founder Walter Irwin
Dear Ones,
Several years ago my friend was hurt on her job and suffered a severe injury that required her to be out of work for many weeks. I remember asking her who came to visit or call her from work while she was laid up. “No one” was her response; “not even a card!”
I remember that I felt sad and disappointed at the same time, and I decided to never allow that to happen to another hurting person.
Well, this is how CRM (Christian Resource Ministry) got started. I needed to put flesh on my plan to be God’s love vessel to minister aid to the hurting.
What we plan to share with you are ideas, testimonies, Scripture, poems, spiritual encouragement and much more material to help you start your own CRM, (and also to help you grow spiritually in the Lord). This is not only about us, but us together touching lives for CHRIST!
A good formula to remember is E+A +P = O or be expectant plus available plus be prepared equals 0pportunity. As you begin your ministry always have stuff with you (in your car, office, home etc.) that may help encourage someone and at times share the salvation message.
Remember this is not so much a ministry to win the lost, although do be prepared if the opportunity arises, but helping our Christian community to maturity and effectiveness.
Love you and be a blessing,
Brother Walt