Last week I volunteered with my Women’s Group at an Inner-city day camp. We bought, prepared and served lunch for about 100 kids and staff. This weekend I am helping a friend clean up her stretch of the adopt-a-highway that she signed her company up to do. There is also a Summer Serve Project through my church coming up this month. Should I help there too?
Have you been there? Have you done, are doing, or are planning on doing something to Serve your community through your groups, Serve with your friends/small group, or Serve as a project with your local church? Are you doing it because it is what you want to do it or do you feel guilty and think it is what you should do? There is a difference.
We are all called to Serve. It is the HOW of serving that has got me thinking there has to be a better way. Especially if You and I are called to be in the Marketplace. In Robert Fraser’s book, Marketplace Christianity, he says there are 10 ‘Kingdom’ things that businesses can do. They range from developing life & leadership skills to creating a spiritual oasis & discipleship. But there are TEN! That is a lot of serving, right?
However, we come back to the question of, “Am I doing enough?” The simple answer is YES. Why? Because you are showing Christ in your actions each day to your coworkers, to your team, to your boss, to your customers/clients, and to your family. Fraser goes on to say that we all have different ‘giftings’. (No surprise there.) AND, he outlines six callings that ARE for the Marketplace.
They are:
Corneliuses (Acts 10:4)
Craftsmen (Ex 31:1-6, Prov 22:29)
Governors (1 Cor 12:28)
Treasure Bringers (Is 60:11)
Marketplace Redeemers (Num 14:21)
City Builders (Ps 107)
I know you can find yourself in one of these descriptions. It will free you to do the WORK God has for you. Seeing yourself how God sees you IS important. I am not saying neglect the activities that are happening at your church, the opportunities to serve. But remember, as Marketplace Christians we are called to be ON every day, not just at church or when we are doing a church project. Do you see the difference? Do you see how we place lots of guilt and blame on ourselves that we ‘aren’t doing enough’?
Jesus said in Matthew 11:28(NLT), “Come to me all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” After working all week and taking care of your family and other responsibilities you NEED to rest. God calls us into a relationship with HIM first. We can’t neglect our Bible Study, Prayer Time, and Worship of HIM to do one more thing outside of where He has placed us.
There is FREEDOM in having this relationship with Jesus. By filling up on Him first then you can’t help but have Jesus stick out all over the place in your life. In fact, Paul reminds us in Galatians 5:1(NLT), “So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.” I know for many of us the church has been our guide for how to do this Christian Life. And, to be honest, many have it wrong or at least twisted. We are warned about this in Scripture and we need to be knowledgeable of Him and His Word, not any other/additional teaching.
Intimacy with Christ is what this Faith-walk is really about. Knowing Him is the start. Once that is established then it is on to Serving. Only a person filled up with His super-abundance can truly Serve the way He desires. Where are you now? What job to you hold? Do you work with more unbelievers or believers? Fraser says that in his experience, “Christians are much more professional with unbelievers in the mix.” Do you find your atmosphere better because of this? How can you turn around yourself to see unbelievers in a different light, in the light God wants you to see them?
This book, Marketplace Christianity, really opened me up to see where I was limiting God. I thought we had to get people to church so they could hear the preaching. Now I realize, God wants us to show Him through our attitudes, actions, and even our words. There is a Business Model in the book too! It has five principles that give complete Freedom in Christ to do what He has called each of us to do. I want to focus on the last one, Teaching.
We are the ‘seeds’ planted in the Marketplace. We need Sonshine and Water to grow. That comes first. Then we need to understand the truths in God’s Word (water) so we can know we are on the right path, doing the right thing and aligning with His plan. The teachings are simple:
1) Living under the smile of God
2) Redefining worship
3) Working as for the Lord
4) Pursuing intimacy and practicing the presence of God
5) Seeing the workplace as a place of ministry
By placing ourselves under His direction we will flourish in the Marketplace for His Glory. By seeing that you and I are called to something outside of our local church body to work in the global church gives great peace with Jesus. Allow Him to minister to you so you can overflow into others.
Wise Woman, I know how busy you are and I want you to realize that there is a better way. AND, only by connecting to God, to His super-abundance, in a way that speaks to your heart can you be satisfied with your Faith-walk and be able to Serve others. The Personalized Faith Plan (PFP) will do that for you.
Through the process you will know exactly how you best relate to God to get the most out of your personal time with Him. Then, Wise Woman, you will overflow into all the other parts of your life in a way that is good and really does Serve others. Start your PFP today and come to Christ in a manner true to how He has created you so you can Serve others for Him.
God is waiting for you to connect with Him. He wants to give you His power to do His will. Allow Him. . . 1 John 3:24(NLT) says, “Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us.”
This is Deneen, the Titus Teacher and founder of Grow From Your Overflow, Tap ino HIS Super-abundance and you will thrive.
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