Speaking Jesus in every life-compartment
“Whoever speaks should do so as those who speak God’s word. Whoever serves should do so from the strength that God furnishes. Do this so that in everything God may be honored through Jesus Christ. To him be honor and power forever and always. Amen.”
~ 1 Peter 4:11
Are you a "full-time minister"?
Your immediate thought may be “No,” because we tend to assume that full-time ministry refers to paid members of the clergy. However, the correct answer for any follower of Jesus is “Yes, absolutely I am…or at least absolutely I’m called to be.”
Think about what you “do for a living,” what hobbies you have, and whom you speak to on a regular basis. You may not equate these things with “ministry,” but they are. Wherever we go, we go in the name of Jesus, we carry the light and love of Jesus, and our words and actions – in fact, our very lives – are to be “a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God” (2 Corinthians 2:15).
This does not mean we have to name-drop Jesus into every conversation. Rather, everything of value we say or do reflects Jesus. St Ambrose, the fourth century Bishop of Milan said it well:
“When we speak of wisdom, we are speaking about Christ. When we speak about virtue we are speaking about Christ. When we speak about justice, we are speaking about Christ. When we are speaking about truth and life and redemption, we are speaking about Christ."
~ St Ambrose, Bishop of Milan
As mentioned, Ambrose was a bishop and a preacher. He was also a musician, teacher, master of Latin eloquence, author, and a political theorist. Ambrose had many roles, yet in every one he spoke about Christ.
You may not have heard about Ambrose before, but you have likely heard about one of his disciples. One day a young, arrogant, hedonistic man travelled to Milan. While staying in the city, this young man met Ambrose and heard him speak, which caused him to reevaluate his life. The young man later wrote his life was forever changed and he eventually gave his heart and his purpose over to Jesus.
We know the young man today by the name of St Augustine, who was baptized by Ambrose in 387.
It was not simply Ambrose’s rhetorical ability that won over Augustine. It was who he was as a person and how he made Jesus the center of his entire life, no matter what role he was fulfilling.
PAUSE and REFLECT
Do you compartmentalize your life into various sections (work, fun, school, family, church etc.)? We tend to do this, but a better question would be, do you consider some of your compartments to be more God-centred and others less God-centred? In other words, are there any life compartments where you might consider yourself to not be a full-time minister for Jesus?
What would it look like if in every role and every life-compartment, your goal was to speak Christ (in the most appropriate way for that compartment), join Jesus in loving those you encounter, and leave behind a Christ-like fragrance?
Yes, of course we have work agendas and things to do for the people who pay us. We have things to do in every role of our life. But our words and actions in all these roles are to be Christ-centred.
When we offer wise advice or advocate for just actions, we are speaking Jesus. When we love others with kindness and compassion, we are speaking Jesus. When we adopt a welcoming posture to all we encounter, we are speaking Jesus.
Pick a role you currently have in your life, and spend a minute to ask God, “How would you like me to speak Jesus in this compartment today?”