God calls every believer to get involved in the building up of His church and the advancement of His kingdom, but the call is not a vocational one for everyone. While we need full-time pastors, evangelists, church administrators and staff, majority of us will be called to serve God while continuing in our marketplace professions.
1 Corinthians 12:27-28 says, "Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues."
We are all given gifts and talents to serve in the ministry, and we are to use them to serve God and others.
There are many advantages of working in the ministry while keeping a secular job, and we must be aware of all of them. However, there can be disadvantages, too. To get involved in the ministry at a volunteer basis will of course entail additional time, effort and resources.
Here are five ways that we can balance work in the ministry without sacrificing our careers, families or even health.
Know your limits. Our limits are all different. An entrepreneur who works 20 to 30 hours a week might give more time to ministry than a regular employee who works 40 hours, but it doesn't that entrepreneur's contribution means more. God sets in all of us unique callings and thus also unique parameters and calls us to wisely walk in them.
Know your priorities. When ministering, always remember your priorities. God comes first, family next, work third and ministry comes last. Ministry is not your God. It is simply your service to His people.
Focus on your gifting. Do you remember the first time you were so on fire for God that you wanted to get involved in every ministry possible? You signed up for the worship team, ushering team, tech and production team, prayer team, charity team and every ministry imaginable. We are all gifted by God with specific callings that we are to walk in. We don't have to be everything for God and the church. We just have to be what He has called us to be.
Set a schedule. If it's not in your schedule, it's unlikely to happen right. Whether that's a weekly, monthly, quarterly or even annual schedule that you can devote to ministry, put it in writing so that you make sure that it doesn't impede into other more important matters.
Trust in the power of the Spirit. Last but not the least, we are to depend on the Holy Spirit through Christ for the power, provision and leading to serve. We cannot serve on our own strength lest we burn ourselves out. We must trust and rely on God's Spirit for strength. It's He who gives us the gifting and the passion and energy to practice those gifts.
