My Course And The Ministry

"But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God." - Acts 20:24 ESV

The course and the ministry. The Dromos (Strong's G1408) and the Diakonia (G1248). A term of service and a sending out to reconcile people to eternal perspective. The measure of a life and the content of the interaction of that life.

The course is 'my' course but it is 'the' ministry. No one runs my course but me. The ministry is a shared ministry to testify to the gospel of the grace of God given to many by Christ Himself. Given before the ascension and passed on by people to people ever since.

My course is something only I can discern others may be used by God as helpers but it is a 'term of office' that has individual accountability and will ultimately be determined by my decisions. We steer our own boats. At times no one is at the helm, we are carried by a storm or or we are being towed along by others but no one has the power or right to steer but us. We will be accountable to God if we lived by passion or if we lived by principle. Turning over our lives to God transforms us from owners, where we usurp authority; to stewards, where we rule over someone else's possession.

As far as ministry goes we are pieces in a big puzzle. At times we don't see our place but grace testifies to us that we have a place. It is a special unique place that no one else can fill and each one has a similarly unique place.

"To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith," - 1 Timothy 1:17-19 ESV

"Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love." - Ephesians 4:15-16 ESV

"Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you." - 2 Timothy 1:13-14 ESV

Only we can disqualify ourselves. God's gifts and calling are never revoked (Romans 11:29). An excess of self examination will lead to disqualification.

There is a course to finish and ministry to participate in. It is not by effort but by illumination that we will navigate the waters... sound words that define a glorious Gospel have been entrusted to us...

Today we can be good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

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