This is a Guest Post by Nate Beaird.
I’ve heard some local vacuum repair/sales shop radio commercials lately. She keeps talking about giving your vacuum the respect it deserves for working hard around your house.
Sometime we just throw it in the closet, and a lot of times we don’t even bother winding up the cord.
I find myself yelling at my radio, “IT’S A VACUUM!” I’ll give it to her though- she’s passionate about vacuums, and if I ever had a vacuum that needed assistance or a break from how poorly I treated it, I’d take it to her! She obviously is serious about making sure vacuums run smoothly and the way they should to help you get that floor clean.
I, however, am not.
I’ve noticed this same concept in ministry. I have friends that are passionate about outreach. I have friends that are passionate about discipleship. I have friends that are passionate about worship. Not to mention, I have friends that are like me who are passionate about leveraging media and technology in ministry.
Although all these friends know that ministry is larger than their passion, they will tell you what they’re passionate about is probably the most important element to ministry.
More thoughts after the jump…
We all do this. We all have the point of view that what we are passionate about is worth the blood, sweat, and tears. Let’s not forget that we are all part of the same Body:
You can easily enough see how this kind of thing works by looking no further than your own body. Your body has many parts—limbs, organs, cells—but no matter how many parts you can name, you’re still one body. It’s exactly the same with Christ.
By means of his one Spirit, we all said good-bye to our partial and piecemeal lives. We each used to independently call our own shots, but then we entered into a large and integrated life in which he has the final say in everything. (This is what we proclaimed in word and action when we were baptized.)
Each of us is now a part of his resurrection body, refreshed and sustained at one fountain—his Spirit—where we all come to drink. The old labels we once used to identify ourselves—labels like Jew or Greek, slave or free—are no longer useful.
We need something larger, more comprehensive.
1 Corinthians 12:12 (Message)
I’ve seen ministries that don’t teach the way I think they should, worship as long, or use media to reach the people all over the world– but I’m not the judge. False or un-Godly teaching should be said for what it is, but don’t walk out of a service because the pastor didn’t mention outreach or use the original Greek definition of “healing” in that one lesson.
Overall, I’ve learned that when I want an opinion on outreach, I know who to ask. If I have question on worship, I know who to ask. If I have a question about children’s ministry, I know who to ask. On the flip-side, I pray someone never asks me about how to do a worship set, an outreach event, or a children’s service! I’m the media guy.
So, I said all that to say this: Find a passion. Live that passion. Let God use your gifts for that passion, but don’t be upset with me if I don’t share your passion.
Even though I know your passion is important, and I love to watch you excel in you passion- It’s your passion. I don’t expect you to be super excited to encode videos for the website, that’s part of my passion.
Let’s work together to make this body move, one step at a time!
[Image from Dave]
Jim says
i used to have colleagues who were hardcore true believers in the brand and all the philosophies. i couldn't even fake their devotion. But the stuff I care deeply about…don't even bother…
Josh Wagner says
This is very true. I'm a worship guy, but also a tech and media guy. It's difficult for me to go to church and not pick apart the music, the sound tech, the media, etc. It's something that I have to keep in check and I constantly learn how to control it.
Great post.
Mikes says
Now that's an AMEN!
Well I'm passionate about technology, internet and i use this for our sound and media ministry where I am a member.