By Marissa Vignola
I am beginning to see that ministry can not exist apart from intimacy with Christ.
You see, ministry should happen out of the outpouring of our relationship with Christ.
John 15:8 says:
“This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”
Many people mistake the “abiding” chapter as a call to “bear much fruit” and don’t realize the call is to “abide.”
The result of abiding in Christ is bearing fruit; apart from the vine (Christ) I can do nothing.
If I attempt to operate independently of Him I can bear no fruit. If my life consists of abiding in Him, then ministry will follow and flow out my abiding.
It isn’t about doing extraordinary things for the Lord; it is about me being ordinary but Jesus being extraordinary. It is about being intimate with the Father, and out of that intimacy, ministry happens because I can offer nothing of value or lasting significance except Him.
My ministry, my dreams, my future should be wrapped up in just knowing Him and making Him known to the nations. Ministry is simple: love the Lord your God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself.
How can I love others if I am not loving God or allowing Him to love me? That is the gospel. You can’t have one without the other… unless you want to be a clanging symbol.
I am falling in love with my Savior, and because of that, I am able to love my neighbor as myself. My neighbor is in the country of South Africa; where is yours?
Marissa is a missionary in Africa. As she ministers to her orphans, her heart’s cry is “to see God’s children’ walk in freedom and… abundant life.”