The field

If I was totally honest with myself and others, I would have to admit that at this point in my life I thought that I would be in a much different arena of ministry than I find myself in right now.  Perhaps I would be serving in a "big" church somewhere with a staff that liked the same kind of music that I did and enjoyed going out for sushi at least once a week with our families of four+ kids each.  Yet this isn't where God has led me at this point in my life and ministry and I am completely grateful and satisfied with that.

When God led me in the spring of this year to pursue a new course of direction for my ministry, I assumed that it would not be long before all sorts of doors would open up for me to plug right back in to another ministry.  Since I don't believe all good ministries happen only behind stained glass windows, I have been open to all sorts of ministry opportunities that are out there.  God has blessed me with many chances to speak at various churches and youth events throughout the summer and now that summer is over I am prayerfully seeking His guidance for what's next.  "Where do You want to use me now, God?" has been my prayer.  Those next steps aren't always the ones we imagine they would be.

Today I start a part-time job at a retail soccer store.  For someone like me who loves soccer it's great fit.  This retail position is the next step in God's ministry for me, yet I didn't always see it that way.  I was sharing this job opportunity with my good friend and prayer partner Kyle Van Zandt the other day and his response went beyond what I was able to see at the time.  He was excited that God would open this door for an amazing opportunity to meet people, form relationships, and walk with them.  It was then that I realized I could view this (and all work-related) opportunities in two ways:

1. This is just a temporary gig until God opens up His next ministry opportunity for me.  Or...
2. This is God's next ministry opportunity for me, a chance to meet people, engage them in conversation, love them as Jesus loves them, and look for gospel encounters along the way.

Wherever we work, volunteer, play, study, eat, hang out, and live is a field of ministry.  When you walk out of the door to your house everyday you are stepping in a mission field.  Ministry is a term that has been handcuffed to steeples for too long.  It's time to take the shackles off and allow our eyes to see the spiritual needs of the world around us.