God in the MarketplaceSample

Clergy Versus Laity

One of the most disempowering things a believer can embrace is an inferiority complex that does not match the truth of who we have become in Christ and what Christ purposes to do through our lives. In today's scriptures we see the apostle Paul encouraging the Corinthians to trust and embrace that God has qualified each of them as “ministers” of His new covenant. What that means is that whether you are a formal church leader or a factory worker, you are an anointed minister.

Many believers unfortunately have a mentality that suggests that unless they are working for a church or a Christian ministry organization, they are not in the “ministry”. Nothing could be further from the truth. One of the ways I like to make this point is to say that; “There is no unemployment in the Father's kingdom”. We are all on assignment!

No matter where you find yourself today as far as employment or station in life, you are an anointed and qualified (by the Spirit) minister of the gospel. Your pulpit might just look like a coffee shop, a factory floor, a classroom or a board room.

Of course, how we outwork this ministry in those settings is going to be nuanced and different to how we might express the gospel on a Sunday morning. This is appropriate and needful as we should emulate what the apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:21-22.

Paul's intent here was to understand the context that he was ministering into and adapt his championing of the gospel so as to be effective in winning the Gentiles.

You and I are qualified, anointed and given the leading of the Holy Spirit to be effective ministers no matter where we find ourselves. To discount this reality by relegating the concept of ministry to the “professional” church ministers is unbiblical and unfortunate. Let's commit to not do that any longer and commit to being fully engaged in our ministry assignments.

Reflection

• What is an example of how you might be able to minister the gospel in your marketplace setting that takes into account the nuances of the people or setting that you are trying to reach them in?