God-centered Ministry

God-Centered Ministry

I eagerly expect and hope . . . that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.

Philippians 1:20

IN WORD The highly active apostle Paul was languishing in a Roman prison, observing how the gospel had impacted the empire in just a few short years. Christ was being preached, even with wrong motives, and that was encouraging to him. For all he knew, Paul was approaching death by execution, and he didn’t view that as catastrophic. His ability to preach freely wasn’t the issue, and neither was his survival. In both ministry and life, Paul’s concern was the gospel and the name of Jesus.

That’s a foreign perspective for many of us. We assume that God’s goal for us is survival, and that He has teamed up with us to ensure a happy, healthy life. But God’s definitions of happiness and health are far removed from ours. While we are busy trying to survive and maybe even accomplish something for ourselves or our loved ones—or even our Lord—God has a change of heart in store for us. This life we’re living isn’t about us; it’s about Him. We’re not to be preoccupied with our survival. We’re to be preoccupied with His reputation in this world. The name of Jesus should be the food we eat and the air we breathe.

IN DEED That sounds as if it will lead us into a dismal slavery, but it won’t. Just the opposite, in fact. It leads us into a glorious freedom. When we’re centered on God, we no longer need to obsess about our work, our children, our lifestyle, or our image. We can obsess about His name and let Him take care of the rest. Do you see how that relieves the pressure? We are to be wholly concerned with something that is certain to be victorious. The name of Jesus will be exalted. That’s a given.

Playing on a team that’s guaranteed to win and having no other ultimate responsibility in life is liberating. It doesn’t mean we don’t care about the other things; it means that if we concern ourselves entirely with His mission, He concerns Himself entirely with our needs. There’s no simpler, freer way to live.

Provided that God be glorified, we must not care by whom.

—FRANCIS DE SALES