Effective Ministering
Many times I’ve heard the phrase, “People don’t care about what you know unless they know that your care.” I really had a first hand experience on Saturday with that. I was working with a girl who I had never worked with before and didn’t know that well. Now I have to admit that most of the people that I work with are christians so I don’t struggle with my collegues. I had never worked with this girl but I had seen her before and heard her talking with her friends. I began talking to her about someone that we work with and she told me about how he always trys and push christianity on her. She said that He always came back with good answers and that she was impressed but didn’t like his approach. I began to talk to her and she asked me where I went to school, I began to tell her that I was in ministry school in wake forest and she said “Wow, all the people here really are hardcore christians.” I tried to get away from the fact that I went to ministry school and focus on her and what she wanted to talk about. She continued and I found out that she was raise jewish and chose to not believe in it and said that she didn’t really know what to believe. “I’m confused because of all the stuff I’ve heard, and I mean I want to believe when I’m struggling and I need help but how pathetic is that?” I told her that thats what we all do, we all look to something when we are in hard times because we want someone to step in and make it all better. She started telling me about how she believes in a higher power but is just confused. I continued to talk to her the whole time we worked and as we were closing the store she made the comment to me “If all christians cared and listened like you do without pushing their own agenda then more people would want to listen and believe.” I was stunned and amazed that she said that, and it really made me think about something. If we were truly living like christ and showing Jesus through our “walk” than wouldn’t we be caring about everyone, no matter their background or what they do, just as Jesus did. Shouldn’t the thing that people yern for, the love and comforting arms of God, be the thing that we shine bright and show others. I challenge you; I’m also challenging myself, to take this next week to show God’s love and that we minister to others by caring about what they say and how they feel, whether they are totally off in their thinking or not, be there to answer questions that they have about christianity or what you believe, and grow a relationship with them and be there for them if they need you.
1 John 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. (ESV)
Let the Lord guide your path and show you the way.
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