I believe every Christian has the responsibility to minister to others. To tell others the gospel, to show love and compassion, to help the unhelped, reach the unreached, and touch the untouched.
My church has a bus and homeless ministry. I grew up with drunks and druggies singing hymns a few pews behind me. I used to help serve food to alcoholics, drug users, homeless, and sometimes mentally ill people. I grew up around bus kids. Kids with different shades of skin, who had no family, no money, and hardly any clothes or food. To be honest, this has never bothered me. One of my best friends growing up was a bus kid, Alyssa. She had a smile and laugh that could melt a cold, hard heart. I befriended a homeless man, Bro. Arther, and found out he was a Christian who became homeless under bad circumstances. I say all that because if it wasn't for the grace of God, I would be coming on the bus with them. I don't look at these people as though I were higher and better than them. I look at them as people who need the same loving Saviour I do. The same grace and mercy I need.
A lot of people don't like the fact that my church has these ministries. People think that "those kind of people" shouldn't come and be near the rest of us. If it wasn't for the sweet and loving grace of God, we would be "those kind of people" as well.
||But by the (grace) of God I am what I am|| 1 Corinthians 15:10
On Sunday's I help in the bus ministry. Lately, I have lost my zeal and excitement to do anything in the bus ministry. I have felt like I'm not doing anything that has effect on people. I hate to say it, but I've just gotten tired. Tired of doing anything. I just wanna come home and avoid everything and quit.
Well, a few Sunday's ago I got a note from one of the classes. It had the names of all the kids and at the bottom it said, "thank you! God loves you." I also got another that told me how well I sing and how good it was. To most people that is so meaningless. But I cried reading them both. Then a Sunday later, a little boy I had never even seen before, came up to the piano, and gave me the biggest hug I had ever gotten. And a little girl told me she loved me before she left.
It was like the Lord slapped me in the face and said "you wanna quit on them now?"
The Lord has completely changed my heart and attitude. I can't wait to go back!!! I'm going to throw myself in there and help in any way that I can!
These kids need love. They need Jesus. Who will tell them if I don't?
Ministry is not a job or Sunday routine. It's a privilege to be chosen and used by Jesus.
I'm sorry this post has been scattered and mostly pointless. But what I mainly want to say is; don't give up.
Sure some of them come with snotty noises and mean attitudes. Sure people will slam the door in your face, or throw away that gospel track you gave them. But the people who need the most love will ask for it in the most unloving ways.
We ourselves have not always been the greatest either, yet Christ has had compassion on us.
||To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, showing all meekness unto all men. For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceiving, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and hating one another.|| Titus 3:2-3
I just want to show these children, and sinners, the love of Christ. I can't change the world, only Jesus can. But I can make a difference and change the world for one person at a time.
So I hope you join me this new year in 2015 and reach the unreached, and touch the untouched. Love the most unlovable person and see what can come of it.
I love being in the ministry. I'm so glad God renewed the spark in me.
He can do the same for you!
I hope this helped in some kind of way.
God bless!
{Miera Noel}
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