The Minister’s Food

Ministry Wednesday: The Minister’s Food

John 4:34
New Living Translation
Then Jesus explained: “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work

Following Jesus as our Lord and Master requires that we conform to Him and to His style, in believing His every word and living our lives accordingly, following how He lived and made His choices and decisions, considering how He did ministry and patterning our own pursuits of ministry after His in everything, both in administration and in preaching, teaching and ministering. This is how to be His disciples as ministers.

In the passage above, He declared that what gave Him satisfaction was not mere physical food or things but doing and finishing the will of His Father. Which He demonstrated by going hours and hours without food even being hungry and in need of rest. We will always have pressing needs, but doing His will is what will bring perfect satisfaction with or without the needs being met. 

In Luke 10, we read the story of Mary and Martha. Martha was going about to serve Him, while Mary was listening to His word at His feet. He didn't stop any of them from doing what they prioritized, but when Martha complained, He told her what's more important to Him which is hearing His word.

The question each one of us as ministers ought to ask ourselves is what actually brings us satisfaction. Is it the physical service and the physical things we get from people or the opportunity they give to us to deliver the message and to do the word of God?

Mark 3:33-35 New Living Translation

33. Jesus replied, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” 34 Then he looked at those around him and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers. 35 Anyone who does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

We shouldn't miss where He drew His social satisfaction from. Definitely not from His biological intimate family relations but from those who hears Him and does the will of the Father in heaven. Those of His intimate family too can fit into that if they want.

Sometimes, we prefer those who satisfy us physically to those who hear the word of God from us. A times we prefer those who would do obeisance to us and roll on the floor before us to those who hear and do the word of God. We sometimes recognizes and treat people according to our physical and biological relationships, social classes, even religious classes and not according to their willingness to hear God's word and to do the will of God.

We should make our priorities His priorities. That's the only way we can genuinely lead people to Him without us becoming the ultimate in our ministries and taking over His place.

It shouldn't be about our own pleasures and personal satisfaction. Our satisfaction and fulfillment should be drawn from His own pleasures and satisfactions to be authentic before Him.

We need both Mary and Martha around us, but we must always see Mary as having chosen the good part and we should commend and protect her.

We need physical supplies and also the opportunities to do God's work and to finish it for our food and nourishment but we should always see that the ultimate nourishment and fulfillment would only come from doing the will of God and finishing it.

We would always need our physical and biological family members and also those who are attracted to us to hear the word and to do the will of God, we should be careful to recognize our true mothers, brothers and sisters as those who hear God's word and are willing to do God's will.

We will always have a crowd of people coming all around us for whatever physical things they can get through charity and prayers but we should always know that those who came for the word of God, to hear and to practice, are those who are genuine, not those who are not ready to do God's will but are ready to do whatever other things we desire of them.

Our satisfaction must be drawn from the will of God being done around us and not from things that only appeal to our ego and lusts.

This is how to maintain our places and bishoprics in the class of Christ's disciples and among His true servants.

May the Lord grant grace and strength to discover what His will is and to prioritize the doing of God's will.

Remain faithful and blessed in Him. Good day to you.

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