Everyday Ministry

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

I used to think that ministry was reserved for church on a Sunday. I also thought that someone with a calling or a real passion for God, needed to commit to full time ministry. I also thought that being seriously called, meant that you needed to become a missionary and travel the world to preach the gospel. Western culture negatively painted Africa as the continent, that needed Christian missionaries to save the lost and dying. Maturing in God helped me to identify that my daily life and work is in fact ministry. I learnt this more from my training about worship. My brother in law who was the worship leader for my church in Jamaica, taught us that worship is a lifestyle.

In essence, whatever you do for God on a daily basis should bring glory to Him. I also learnt other similar concepts from other ministers, about surrendering my job to God and to acknowledge God as my ‘real boss.’ One of my main ethos is that I work to please God, so if God is pleased then everyone else has to line up behind him. This freed me from working to please a Manager or a Supervisor. I do believe that we need to submit to earthly authority and render to Caesar what is due to Ceasar (Luke 20:25). However, God is my ultimate authority and I work for a clear conscience before Him. This also frees me from over work and burn out.

I trust my job to God, trust Him to bless what I do and trust Him to give me good success. I have focused on the work ethic of Bible characters like Joseph and Daniel, who maintained an excellent spirit. I admire how Joseph excelled, even while in prison and found favour with the prison guard (Genesis 39:4). In addition to this, he was not afraid to use his God given gifts to minister to fellow inmates, when they had dreams about their future (Genesis 40). It was this use of his spiritual gift, that eventually allowed Joseph to find favour with Pharoah. Imagine if Joseph went around feeling sorry for himself and had a bad attitude.

Daniel also maintained an excellent spirit which caught the attention of the King. “Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom” (Daniel 6:3). We know that the envy of the other officials, led to Daniel being set up and thrown in a lion’s den. Nevertheless, because of his faithfulness, God preserved him. After his release, the King made a decree that the God of Daniel, is to be feared because he is the true and living God. Daniel’s lifestyle was his biggest sermon.

Neither Joseph or Daniel were recorded as preaching sermons to the people around them. Both of them were in strange countries and carried out jobs that they were not originally trained to do. What these men did was to live an exemplary lifestyle. They did not take bribes or cut corners to get ahead, neither did they deny their faith in God. Their life was a testimony that demonstrated the power of God. Their influence showed who God is and they always gave the glory to Him. God will set us apart so that others can know who He is. We have to work to please God and do our job as an act of worship. This shifts our focus from pleasing men to pleasing God. Once God is pleased, then promotion and elevation will follow.

“For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, Nor from the south. But God is the judge: He putteth down one, and setteth up another” (Psalm 75:6-7).

A.P.-Y.

Published by Anneta Pinto-Young

I am a trained Social Worker who currently provides professional leadership on a programme to support Social Work students and Newly Qualified Social Workers entering the Social Work Profession.

Born and raised in Jamaica in a Christian family where my father is an ordained Pastor and Deacon who has served for over 50 years in the ministry. My father is also a trained musician and our family can be described as a musical family. I grew up in a small farming community in St. Peter’s, St. Andrew and my parents also have a small farm.

I credit my gift of writing to my father who I watched and listened to over the years as he wrote sermons, poems and other recitals in his capacity in ministry. English has always been an easy subject for me and over the years I have developed an increased interest in writing.

I am a Trainer, I sing and have a passion for worship, the spoken word and the free flow of the prophetic anointing. I am married to my best friend Andrew Christopher Young who is an advanced Musician and whose music you can find on YouTube and Facebook. I am a trained Coach and Mentor and I love experimenting with food so I love cooking. I enjoy trying cultural dishes from across the world and I view food as an entry into cultures and languages.
View all posts by Anneta Pinto-Young

Published
August 5, 2022August 5, 2022

Post navigation


Editor's Picks

Editor's Picks