Holy Habits: 5 Lifechanging Spiritual DisciplinesSample

Day 5-The Holy Habit of Ministry

The fifth holy habit is ministry. Now that you are growing in discipleship, connected in fellowship, active in prayer, and going vertical in worship, the time has come for you to give back.Ministry is simply you doing your part to serve others. Ministry is the outward expression of a heart that has been transformed by the Gospel. A ministry is you using your spiritual gifts and natural talents to help meet the spiritual, physical, or emotional needs of others to build up the Body of Christ.

Peter knew a lot about ministry since he learned from Jesus for over three years. Peter gives us this encouragement:

As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (I Peter 4:10-11).

Did you know that when you became a Christian, God gave you at least one spiritual gift? It’s kind of like this: Have you ever moved into a new neighborhood and received welcome gifts from those neighbors who were welcoming and friendly? Well, when you accept Jesus and become part of God’s family, He gives you several welcome gifts: You receive eternal life, you become part of God’s very own family, you now have a home in heaven, your sins are all forgiven, and you receive at least one spiritual gift! (And the list could go on and on!)

So how do I discover what my spiritual gift so that I can start serving in the local church? Great question! The first place to start is by serving in different ministries to see where you best fit. Maybe you start serving as a greeter or brewing coffee with the hospitality team. Do you sense God’s pleasure as you serve in any of these areas? One key indicator is that when you use your spiritual gift, you begin to sense the divine pleasure in your life.

Another key indicator is the response of others. God will use others to help you discover your gift through their affirmation. I remember when I first started preaching at the young age of fifteen. God used others in the local church to affirm my calling. They would say things like, “Timothy, this is your gift. God is going to really use you. You may just be the next Billy Graham.” Such words from God’s people were an encouragement to me (even if they were speaking in hyperbole to me feel special at the time).

Here’s a key wisdom principle for you: You know the will of God by doing the will of God. As you serve in different ministries, your main spiritual gifts will rise to the top. There’s an old Southern expression: The crème will always rise to the top! That same can be said for your spiritual gifts—your top gifts will eventually rise to the attention of others as you do your part to build up the Body of Christ.

Another resource that can be helpful is a spiritual gifts test. There are many good tests that will ask you questions about your passions and your interests to identify where you are spiritually gifted. Many of these tests ask around fifty or so questions and take about fifteen minutes to complete. Here are two good resources for spiritual gifts tests: Lifeway’s Spiritual Gifts Survey and Jeff Carter also has a free resource for a spiritual gifts assessment. (You can find these online).

Your Move: Seek to grow in your relationship with Jesus daily by practicing these 5 Holy Habits that we learned about:

1. Discipleship: Learn about Jesus daily by spending time with Jesus daily in His Word.

2. Fellowship: Connect with other believers so that I can experience true community as we serve the Lord together.

3. Prayer: Talk with Jesus daily through prayer and communion.

4. Worship: Express my gratitude to God daily by worshiping in Spirit and in truth.

5. Ministry: Use my spiritual gifts to serve God by building up believers in my local church.

For more resources: I would love to connect with you at www.DrTimothyBrown.org.

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