“Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.” Luke 1:38
The calling to ministry and service comes in a variety of ways and through many different means. The majority of people do not encounter an angel like Mary. Most people start by volunteering and fall in love with the work. Others simply see the needs of people and feel the desire to help them. Some individuals feel the tug through the words of a preacher or in a time of prayer. While many, including myself, are spoken to through God's Word. When I was 18, I read this verse from Judges 2:10: "After that generation died, another generation grew up who did not acknowledge the Lord or remember the mighty things he had done." I knew then that God wanted me to do my part in bringing up a generation who does know the Lord.
With that said, one of our greatest responsibilities (and privileges) as God’s people is to pass down our faith to the next generation. In fact, as Christians we are commissioned to disciple others. Each of us are called to be disciples who make disciples.
I believe much of the decline in the American Church is due in part to the fact that the church has way too many consumers and not enough disciple makers. At some point in our Christian journey, we must move beyond thinking only about ourselves and what we need and how we need to be fed. At some point, we must begin to seek God’s calling on how He can use us to feed others. We must begin to discern how God might want to use our gifts, abilities, and resources for the benefit of those coming behind us.
I’m incredibly excited about what God is doing through our youth and children ministries. I’ve loved seeing the growth in these areas both numerically and spiritually over the past year. My hope in the near future is to create a Family Ministry Team full of adults who have a calling and passion for discipling our young people. The next generation needs volunteers and teachers who love God and His Word and who truly care about them. (Please especially pray for God to call people to disciple our children in Sunday School and contact me if you’re interested!)
Mary is a great example of someone who offered her whole self to God’s Word and as a result became the Christ-bearer to the world. Like Mary, may we in this season of Advent, seek out God’s calling to ministry. May we be attentive to the Spirit’s voice in our lives. May we go to deeper places of obedience and faithfulness so that we can become Christ-bearers for others. Like Mary, may we declare, “We are servants of the Lord. Let it be done unto us according to your word.”
-Brandon