Want To Do More For Christ?

As a child we constantly want to test our limits, to do more.  If you are a child of God, growing in maturity, you should have that same deep-seated desire.  But many don’t see a ready outlet and over time their desire wanes, they settle into a groove in life, a rut, and stay there.  Still others just settle for being handed a task by somebody else and find themselves busy doing things, but in the back of their minds there persists a nagging question: “Am I really doing any of this for Christ?”  

Here’s how to unlock the potential you have in Christ:

1.  Abide in Him.  Jesus said in John 15:5, “I am the vine, you are the branches.  He

who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”

Did you catch that?  We want grapes.  We feel the need to produce grapes.  But Jesus

tells us not to focus on grapes, rather focus on Him.  He who abides…bears much fruit.  

It is a foregone conclusion.  If you look at your life and aren’t satisfied with the fruit it’s producing, ask yourself, “Am I truly abiding in Christ?”  That’s the place you have to start.  Abide in Him, and then say along with the prophet Isaiah, “Here I am, send me!”  Then stay abiding in Him as you wait to see what He does.

2.  Realize the truth of Scripture.  In Ephesians 2:10 it says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

 That verse says that you are fashioned, made to fulfill a specific purpose, to do certain things…and God has already prepared those things to be available for you to do.  Learn who you are, the talents God has given you.  You have them!  It says so!  And there are avenues for you to use those gifts.  If you don’t, the body WILL be lacking, those things WILL be left undone, for YOU were made to do them.  

3.  Listen to the Holy Spirit.  Jesus said in John 5:19, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself, he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.”

 While we aren’t God the Son, we do desire to be more like Him and the Holy Spirit is working in us to conform us to His image.  Like Christ we should desire to only do what God the Father wants us to do.  There are endless decent things you could do, but there are specific things God wants you to do.  So listen to the Holy Spirit, ask Him to guide and direct you, and don’t be afraid to end something you don’t feel His leading in.  Good things that God doesn’t actually want you involved in take away from time you could spend on what is truly important.

4.  Act.  It can be scary to step out in faith and do something God asks you to do.  It can also be disappointing.  We tend to hype things up in our minds, getting all worked up, and then the actual event seems…normal, maybe even tedious.  Do yourself a favor and look at it as a simple act of obedience…and then do it.

But you MUST take that first step.  Sometimes you will need to be patient as you wait for Christ to provide you with the right opportunity.  Other times you will need to act quickly and decisively because the moment of opportunity is now…and now might not be convenient for you.  Still other times what we feel Christ calling us to do may be rather complicated and we need to write out all the little steps that need to be taken and start working our way down that list.

A word of warning: while you seek to answer Christ’s call, avoid the temptation to give your task to someone else.  Don’t rob yourself of treasures in heaven by shirking your duties to Christ.  Don’t leave your task in the hands of somebody God didn’t intend to do it.  If He has laid on your heart that something needs to be done, then you are the one He has called to do it.

Starting A Ministry:

While many things that God leads us to do in His name are actions that stand alone, others are more long term, on-going needs.  We call these things ministries.  Whether it’s a way to care for widows and orphans, visit the sick, disciple new believers, or instruct the more mature, there are activities the body needs to be about today that it will still need to be about 100 years from now.  Here are the simple steps that are taken when Christ calls somebody to start a ministry:

1.  Grow closer to Christ.  As you spend time with Him and in His word you will better understand what He is concerned about, what the body needs, and what we, as the bride of Christ, are to be about it.

2.  See a need.  Christ will open your eyes to things your local body ought to be doing that it isn’t.  Be prepared, there will be plenty of them!  Every single believer who isn’t using his or her gifts to serve Christ is leaving gaps in the ranks.

3.  Fill a need.  The more you walk with Christ the better you’ll understand what He has created you specifically to do.  As you seek to use your gifts, Christ will open your eyes to more needs that require those gifts.  Ask yourself, “What people with needs around me can I help?”  Some needs simply require availability.

4.  Come up with a plan.  Even if it’s just visiting people in the hospital you still need a plan.  When are you available?  How will you get word of who’s there?  What will you do when you get there?  How will you specifically impact their life?  Do you need help?  What have others done to fulfill this need in the past?  By writing it out and putting steps on a calendar you will enable a solution to take concrete shape.

5.  Talk to your pastor or other leadership in the church.  Proverbs continuously stresses the importance of wise counsel.  Asking others for advice and guidance is always a good idea.  Accountability is also vital.  We are all in danger of getting “lost in the woods.”  If a ministry is worth doing it’s worth having accountability built into it to make sure that it is as effective as possible.  This could be as simple as meeting with somebody once every two weeks to discuss and pray about it.  But if this ministry grows and involves others, a board or chain of command may need to be put in place.  Remember that any ministry involving more than one person needs an assigned contact point…that’s the leader.