Essentials Needed When Rising Up in Ministry

There are so many misconceptions going around about how to find your calling. So many wrong ways to go about it. And so many wrong motivations being the factor behind wanting to find out in the first place.

Here is the deal; with the Fivefold Ministry having surged and having become almost a ‘buzzword’ in the Body of Christ, many are focused on finding their God-given calling. However in their quest, they forget that you only get there by doing actual ministry for the Lord. I am not talking about the loud, hype, glory seeking stuff out there. But about real hands-in-the-dirt kind of ministry that nobody else sees, but you, Jesus and the person you are ministering to. You know, the kind of ministry where you get involved in people’s lives and problems. Where you invest into them spiritually and physically. Where you help them rise up into what God has and wants for THEM.

Where you pour out in faith, in sacrificial love and continued hope into the people God brings to you, or leads you to.

Again, I am not even talking about the Fivefold Ministry levels here. In my newest prophetic live class that I just started a week ago, we looked at the Body Ministries that Paul mentions in Romans 12 (verses 5 to 8). Have a look at them and ask yourself, how many of them are you fulfilling and flowing in on a continual basis?

7 Function or Body Ministries in Detail:

1. Serving – find a fellow believer to serve to – to bless
2. Teaching – sharing your knowledge with others
3. Encouragement – lifting others up emotionally
4. Giving – give from what you have (not just money!)
5. Leading or Ruling – Persuading and influencing others for the Lord
6. Showing Compassion – Caring about problems of others – getting involved to help
7. Prophecy – speaking from your heart, what would Jesus say to them?

Serving Others

Are you there to just be a servant to others? To pour out in servanthood and to bless others? It’s not something complicated, but how often do you just find yourself serving those above you so you get something back in return. Jesus showed servanthood to His own disciples. He wasn’t afraid to go down on His knees and to wash their feet. But in the process, He also didn’t lose focus of who He was and His identity as being their Master. He knew it has to do with an attitude of heart and not just something you are doing once or twice, in the process of rising up.

As a leader you set the example. Are you willing to keep on serving and blessing others even in small and insignificant things? Or do you expect them to serve and bless you all the time if you already have risen up in leadership?

Teaching Others

Oh yes, teaching others. We all want that, right? We want to stand behind the pulpit and preach to the crowds. You want to be recognized as the great preacher; one that has such wisdom and is used mightily by the Lord. But this passage is not speaking of such teaching. It simply speaks of passing down and sharing your knowledge with others. It can be accomplished on any level.

Are you willing to share a principle that you have learned with just one person? My personal motto is, that whatever I am doing, if I have reached just one person; inspired them, instructed them, equipped them, helped them and brought them closer to the Lord, I have done my job and the purpose of it was fulfilled. If the Lord takes it further and touches more people, that’s a blessing.

Encouraging Others

In a world where so many things go wrong and bad news hit you daily, encouraging others is such a vital force of building up hope in people. It doesn’t take much to lift others up. To encourage them to press on, to tell them you are standing with them.

To speak some positive words over them and their lives. (and no, I am not talking about empty words such as “I declare and decree”) I mean real encouraging words.

Words have such power! If we would just learn to use them more wisely and for building up instead of tearing down.

A Giving Heart

Do you have a giving heart? A heart that puts others needs and desires before your own? A true Giver doesn’t just give from his or her overflow but gives even when it means giving their last thing.

Giving and investing in people is such a blessing. You can be assured of the return if you are giving with a ‘giving heart’. But we are not just talking money here. You can give of your time, your valuables. I have given away a car, guitars on more than one occasion… obviously finances and then things that were dear to me.

If it doesn’t cost you, tell me… what is it that you are giving?

Leading or Ruling

Are you willing to go ahead and influence others? Again, many misunderstand this one. It’s not about being the great leader that everyone has to submit to. It’s simply about being good at influencing others and persuading them. It’s about seeing the best in them and wanting to bring that out. Not about them seeing you as their leader or master.

Remember, each of these Body Ministries is only accomplished with having an Other-Orientation at heart. That’s the essence and key ingredient of any true ministry.

This is also what will lead you to find your calling. And keep on fulfilling it!

Showing Compassion

Do you see the struggles those around you are going through? Are you aware of their pain, their sufferings and their hopelessness?

Many suffer in silence. Even in the Body of Christ. Why? Because they cannot bear having to hear another person ‘preach’ at them of what they should or shouldn’t do. Compassion shows itself in being there with the person and not leaving their side.

So many see the struggles of others but are not willing to get involved. It’s too messy for them. If that is you, ministry definitely wouldn’t be for you. And you could stop right here trying to find out what your calling is all about. Because they go hand in hand. Without having or showing compassion, moving into any of the Fivefold Ministry levels is out of the question.

Prophecy

No, you don’t have to be a prophet to minister to others in this seventh function. Remember, we are speaking here of Body Ministries. Not the fivefold level yet.

Are you someone that is willing to just speak from the heart and what you think Jesus is saying to a person? Are you willing to encourage, motivate and lift others up by telling them how much potential the Lord sees in them?

It’s a precursor for anyone that wants to flow in prophetic ministry. But on a much lower level.

What’s Your Motivation?

So how many of these function do you fulfill on a daily basis? Could you use some further development in any of these?

I want you to know that there is nothing wrong with having great aspirations. There is nothing wrong wanting to reach for the stars, and beyond. As long as it is inspired by the Lord and the motivation in your heart is to bless others, keep holding on to these desires. But also be willing to let it go if the Lord asks you to do so – I will talk more on that later.

In the end, the main question you need to ask yourself is this: are you willing to simply DO the work even if you are never going to receive any recognition for it? Even if you don’t know if that is supposed to be part of your calling or not?

Let faith, hope and love be your motivating factors. Don’t worry too much about finding your calling, rather focus on pouring out on a daily basis into those that you cross paths with.

By doing so the Lord will lift you higher, and suddenly you will find yourself fulfilling the calling He has set on your life.