Text: Ephesians 3:1-9
Memory verse:
”of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.“
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭3‬:‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Ministry is not about the assignment you are involved in, whether it is secular or divine, but that the assignment is given to you in Christ.
”… this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,“ (‭‭Eph‬ ‭3‬:‭8‬). Romans 1:1 says “…called to be an apostle”. 1 Timothy 1:12 says, “…putting me into the ministry”. All these are Paul’s testimonies.
Some people have become casualties because they entered into the assignment, which God didn’t call them into. God will not back up what He hasn’t commissioned. A job is what you choose, but ministry is what God called you into in Christ.
When God calls you into a ministry, He accompanies it with the required grace, that is, the divine ability to accomplish it. ”He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.“ ‭‭(I Thes‬ ‭5‬:‭24‬). In our text, Paul speaks of how unqualified he was, being the least of all the apostles, but grace was given to him to preach among the Gentiles. Your availability is the key requirement to draw that grace. In 2 Corinthians 12:9, rather than drawing back because of his weakness, he made himself available for the Holy Spirit to fill. However, when it is a job, your own ability and qualifications can be your leading edge but not in a ministry.
What is the result of a job and a ministry well done? When you do a job well, you get self-esteem. It raises your ego and self-worth. However, when you do ministry well, He who called you into the ministry is glorified. He takes the honour and the praise (1 Cor 3:7).
In addition, a job well done will bring you temporal reward. No matter how great the rewards your job may give, they can’t last forever. In contrast, when you carry out the work of the ministry well, you get eternal rewards and the rewards that will transcend your lifetime (1 Cor 9:25). For example, pastors who shepherd the flock well will receive an eternal crown that doesn’t fade away. ”And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.“ (‭‭I Pet‬ ‭5‬:‭4‬). No human or congregation reward can compare with that eternal reward. For me, that’s where my focus is and not in any ephemeral reward. So my goal is to please He who calls me above any mortal.
Friends, are you engaged in a job or in a ministry?

Prayer points
1. Father, I recognize my inability to do the work of ministry in my own strength, so I earnestly ask for Your grace, in Jesus’ name.
2. Father, as I serve You, help me to focus on eternal reward rather than temporary human reward in Jesus’ name.

Today’s declarations
1. When I do the work of ministry well, Christ is honoured and glorified.
2. Since God called me into ministry through grace, I depend on His grace to do the work of ministry.