“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me (1 Corinthians 15:10 ESV).”
You will fulfill your ministry if you stay focused on and work hard to make disciples.
I recall the time I ended up in a couple’s living room. The wife was curled up in a ball on the couch, a mixture of anger and weeping. The husband had just called me and told me he had been unfaithful to his wife, and he was certain he had ruined his life. There he sat, lost as to what to do. He had ruined their “perfect” life.
Here’s the catch: They didn’t go to the church I was pastoring. They didn’t go to any church. I had befriended him as he coached my daughters at their school. She had grown up in the church but had since walked away.
I triaged the trauma that day and then set up an appointment to meet with them. The gospel was going to be the only hope for this couple.
At that appointment, the man trusted Christ through beautiful brokenness and confession. His wife also confessed her prodigal life and prayed for forgiveness from her loving, gracious Father. They still faithfully attend and serve Jesus through that church. Their children have grown up in the admonition and nurture of the Lord. God gloriously saved a family!
But what if I had not befriended the husband? Make no mistake about the glorious, powerful gospel that saved their marriage. But, if I had not befriended the husband, where would they have turned to find help and hope?
Paul told Timothy that this particular work actually helped fulfill his ministry: disciple-making. “As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry” (2 Timothy 4:5).
Paul was laser focused on doing the work of an evangelist. The pastorate comes with a plethora of distractions. Some are self-inflicted; some are not.
And notice that Paul used the word work. Making disciples and being an ambassador for Christ takes work. Paul was not passive. He took the initiative to seek out people to have an opportunity to share the incredible life-changing news of Jesus. This is work—glorious work.
Who are you befriending? I know there are sermons to preach, meetings to lead, appointments with various ministries and committees, sick people to visit, etc., but there are also people around you who need the help and hope of the gospel. Who is God bringing into your sphere? Who has the Spirit placed on your heart and mind?
When Paul said he worked harder, he may have been referring to the amazing gospel fruit the Lord gave him. These are not days of circling the wagons but days of working the plentiful harvest. Let’s join Paul in giving great praise to the grace of God for our labor of love in disciple-making.
“Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!” (Psalm 90:17).
Be encouraged—you will fulfill your ministry if you stay focused on and work hard at making disciples.