It’s All Ministry

Remember our labor and hardship, brothers and sisters. Working night and day . . . we preached God’s gospel to you. —1 Thessalonians 2:9

When Paul was in Thessalonica, he earned a living by making tents at the same time he was being the “apostle Paul.” He worked hard so he could lighten the load of these early believers and not be a burden to them. He didn’t neglect his normal daily responsibilities to go be a minister.

I think it’s easy to have the attitude that if you’re involved in ministry, then you should focus on those tasks rather than your normal everyday responsibilities, such as keeping the house clean or preparing meals. No, it’s all ministry. I have a real concern about how many women in ministry—both those who are paid or volunteers— end up unintentionally neglecting their homes and families to “minister” to others.

If your children aren’t being ministered to, if your husband isn’t being loved well, if your home isn’t in order, then you’ve got your priorities out of whack. It’s all ministry, and it all makes you a more effective servant of the Lord.

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“Portrait of an Effective Servant” (Revive Our Hearts series)

Scripture taken from The CSB