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Day 3 Heart Attitudes Devotional

By September 20, 2017Daily Devotional

Pray:

Ask God to orient or reorient you to Himself. Confess any known sin. Thank Him for His forgiveness. Be still and reflect on Jesus and His sacrifice for you. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your heart and mind to God’s Word. Pray for others in your life that they, too, would know and love God today.

Read:

Heart Attitude: Participate in the Ministry

1 Peter 4:10-11,

“10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”

1 Cor. 12:12, 18-20, 27,

“12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ… 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as He wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body… 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”

Understand:

We’re all called to participate in the ministry, not just the paid staff of a church. Each believer has a role to play; there is some special function to perform as a member of the body of Christ. That role—whatever it is—is not for you to use selfishly, but it is to be used for the glory of God and the good of others. Christ-followers are intended channels through whom the blessings of God can flow to others.

It’s really humbling to think that God wants us to serve in our local community. Think about what that means in the context of River. If you’re plugged into a small group, then you’re there for a purpose. The group you are a part of needs you to function like it should. I don’t say that to focus our attention on ourselves. Instead, it’s just the opposite. The focus should be on those who are in your group. God has given us the opportunity to pour into their lives; He’s calling us to help them grow. The funny thing is…as we lean into what He’s called us to do, as we give our lives for others, we find ourselves growing in Christlikeness! We’ll find ourselves ministering to ourselves while we minister to others.

Understand that we are talking about the difference between ministering vs. ministry. The difference is subtle. Lots of folks are looking for a ministry—to be given a class to teach, a group of people to lead, or a program to run. The problem with this approach is that many times people end up waiting for something to happen. This isn’t the best way to approach leading people. Why? Because most of the time as folks wait, they don’t access the ministry that’s already happening around them! If we’re focused on looking out all the time, we will miss what is going on right in front of us. What I’m saying is this: sometimes we can get so busy looking for a ministry that we fail to see all the different opportunities we have to minister to people God has put right next to us. Who knows…God may call you to lead a church, or even give you a heart for missions. I’m not discounting that, but one thing you can always be certain of: He always wants you to minister right where you are! Your ministry is personal and portable!

Apply:

Take some time to think about your own life. What does your ministry look like?

Are you looking for a ministry or are you actively ministering to others?

How could it impact the way we live and do church together if we all thought of ourselves as full-fledged ministers?

*From what you have just read and considered: What is a personal implication/application for your life today?

Live:

(Personalize this prayer today; make it specific to the circumstances that face you.)
Ask God to lead you through His Spirit as you go through your day. Ask Him to bring to mind the truth of the gospel and its implications for what you will encounter today. Tell Him “Yes” to His will and ask Him for His power and protection to live this “yes.” Ask God to create and reveal opportunities to proclaim the good news today. KEEP PRAYING THROUGHOUT YOUR DAY.

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