How Ministry Professionals Should Live

One of the (few) advantages of hours on an airplane is the opportunity to slowly read God’s Word.

On my return from Quito last week, I relished some quantity and quality time in 2 Corinthians 5 and 6. Paul wrote 2 Corinthians to his ministry leaders in Corinth. So his instructions to his team are very applicable to those of us in ministry today.

Previously, Paul was describing to his colleagues the miracle of the new heavenly bodies we will receive when we leave these temporal bodies. Our aim is to please Him whether here in this body or away from this body. But then he states in 2 Corinthians 5:11: “It is because we know this solemn fear of the Lord that we work so hard to persuade others.” Let me ask you: ‘Why do we do what we do?’ Are we so busy doing our work, we forget why we do it? It is because of the awesome fact of eternity that we work hard to share the Good News.

So what is the power and impetus to our work? Statement 14 gives the answer: “Whatever we do is because Christ controls us.” Any motivation, any power, any wisdom, any success comes from a life under the control (Lordship) of Jesus Christ.

God has brought us back to himself through what Christ has done. We were once enemies of God. Now we are friends of God. We are now reconciled with God. And He has now given to us the task of reconciling others to God. (v 18)

We are Christ’s ambassadors. Ambassadors work in a foreign country to win friends for the home country. God is using us to win friends for our eternal home country.
So how shall we now live? Read on. 2 Corinthians 6:3 ff

1. Live in a way so that no one will be hindered from finding God (6:3)
2. Live so no one will find fault with our ministry. (6:3)
3. Patiently endure troubles and hardships (6:4)
4. Prove our purity, understanding, patience, kindness, sincere love, power of the Holy Spirit (6:6)
5. Powerfully preach the truth with God’s power working in us.
I’m so honored to be an ambassador for Christ. I’m so thrilled to urge my friends to be reconciled with God. I’m so humbled to seek to live and work in such a way that friends won’t be hindered from finding Christ. And I’m so ready to with God’s power share the truth of God to a needy world.