Throughout Scripture, God’s people are mandated to make His name known. In the Old Testament, Abraham grew a nation, Moses led a nation, and the prophets warned the nation—all for the sake of making God known. In the New Testament, Jesus declared to His Father, “I made known to them your name” (John 17:26, ESV). Before ascending, He commanded His followers, “Go, therefore, and make disciples” (Matt. 28:19a).
In today’s busy world, how do we obey this command and make His name known?
Mark 10:46-52: Pray! In the account of Bartimaeus, Jesus asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” (v. 51a). He responded, “I want to see” (v. 51b). Our busy schedules can cause us to be “blind” to the opportunities around us. Begin by praying, “I want to see” the needs in my church, community, and world.
Mark 2:1-12: A paralytic is carried to Jesus by four friends. Because of their action, a life and a community were changed. The four modeled active compassion. They did more than “feel sorry”; they acted on his need.
Active compassion is exemplified throughout the life of Jesus. He had compassion for the sick and made His compassion active by healing. He had compassion for the lost and made it active by seeking them out. He had compassion for humanity and made it active by going to the cross. He made God known through His active compassion.
What can we learn about active compassion from the four friends?
They took an interest in the paralytic.
Ministry often begins by simply taking an interest in the life of another. Ask questions. Be observant. Set calendar alarms for birthdays, doctor appointments, important meetings, and so forth and drop a text on those days. Use technology to help show interest.
They committed to the task.
Ministry to an individual, small group, church, or community requires commitment. The four did not give up halfway to the house because the paralytic was heavy. There are times when ministry will be heavy! Plan for what can be completed, heavy or light. A ministry can be a collection of goods (light), a one-day commitment (heavier), or a semester commitment (heavy). Plan a few options from light to heavy and allow members to sign up for what they can realistically complete.
They made adjustments.
The unexpected happens. A Baltimore VBS team hoping to have VBS in a large park as an outreach had to quickly adjust when they realized the residents around the park were not parents. They were dog owners. They adjusted and had “Dog Daze of Summer,” creating activities for dogs and their owners including a photo booth. The event made the Baltimore news.
They overcame obstacles.
Obstacles are a given. A job will get left undone, and someone’s feelings will get hurt. Rather than be surprised by obstacles, prepare for them.
They left the results to Jesus.
This one is hard! So often we want to take control and tell Jesus how to do His work. The four simply lowered the paralytic to Jesus’s feet. Not all ministry endeavors will have the desired outcome; trust Jesus with it and keep doing.
Some may ask, “Can I just give money?” Sometimes that is appropriate. But ministry is so much more! Perhaps the best illustration comes from the mission field. A volunteer group working in Asia wondered if their travel costs could have been better spent if sent directly to the missionary. When they asked, the missionary answered, “No! When you come, you bring something dollars cannot bring, the presence of the Holy Spirit.” Rather on a mission trip or a ministry project across the street, the presence of the Holy Spirit who dwells in every believer is priceless.
How does this all play out practically?
“Go and make disciples”—The intent of this passage is “as you are living life, make disciples.” Where do you do life? How can you make everyday activities into ministry activities?
Here are a few ideas for one-on-one interactions to get you started:
- Do you spend hours at your child’s ______ practice? Start a book club with the other moms.
- Do you walk/run? Pray for the houses and people en route. Pray for God to bring you walking/running partners that need to hear about Jesus.
- Need a gift for that person who has everything? Gift a farm animal or water filter through Send Relief.
- What if BOGO was Buy One Give One? Need a box of diapers? Buy two and donate one to a pregnancy center. This list is endless!
- Wear perfume? Choose one that allows for spiritual conversations. I wear Amazing Grace. It has opened numerous doors to share my story of God’s amazing grace.
- Ordering dinner from a delivery service? Order two and have the other delivered to an overwhelmed family.
For the small group:
- Fire station nearby? Deliver a movie box with popcorn, candy, Fireproof movie, and thank you notes.
- Do you lose socks in the dryer? So do foster families. Host a “Sock Hop Party” complete with fifties music and root beer floats. The entrance fee? A package of socks. Deliver the socks to your local family services department or nearby children’s home.
- Has someone in your church recently been through cancer treatment? Chemo centers always need blankets for patients. Collect and make blankets to give to the local treatment center in the church member’s honor. Let that person know his or her suffering did not go unnoticed—prompting your group to do something.
- Looking for meaningful gifts? Host a World Crafts party. Missionaries are helping these artisans have hope. The stories and products can be found on their website. Include the story in the gift card.
- Christmas outreach? Sponsor a walk from “Nazareth” to “Bethlehem” (ninety miles). Invite friends to join, tracking progress on a symbolic map. (This will take weeks.) At the end, host a celebration sharing the real story of Christmas.
- Studying the book of Ruth? Design projects to minister to widows: handwritten notes, a meal, a shopping trip, and so forth.
Warning! Warning!
When doing ministry, remember a good deed is nothing more than a good deed if the name of Jesus is never mentioned. Share Jesus. Is it scary? Yes! The story of the blind man in John 9:9-34 gives us an easy pattern to follow. When questioned by the Pharisees, he simply told how he was blind, met Jesus, and became healed. Tell your story. Sharing Christ is simply being a steward of your own God-story.
(Practice makes perfect. Take a few minutes at a meeting to share your stories. You might be surprised how many have never heard how their BFF received Christ!)
Be intentional and remember, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). Whom do you need to show love to today and carry to the feet of Jesus?
ABOUT GAYLA PARKER
Gayla Parker has been married for forty-six years. She has three married sons and seven grandchildren. Gayla holds a degree in family counseling/social work from Jacksonville State University, a Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and is currently finishing her PhD in Systematic Theology from SWBTS.
Gayla has been in ministry for over forty years, serving as a pastor’s wife, international missionary, women’s consultant for two Baptist state conventions, missions innovator specialist for W.M.U. SBC, Lifeway trainer for the women’s leadership team, chaplain, author, and speaker. Currently, Gayla is serving as an adjunct professor at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, AR, and executive director for the Pregnancy Resource Center for Southwest Arkansas. Gayla’s book, Active Compassion: A Calling to Care to care can be found on Amazon with her proceeds going to the International Mission Board. Her devotions can be found online in various blogs and in The Psalms and Proverbs Daily Devotional for Women and NKJV Women’s Daily Devotional Bible, both published through Holman Press, Journey Magazine published through Lifeway Resource Center, and in Because of Hope: Reflections of Faith published by WMU.
