Are You Qualified to Minister?

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

~ 2 Corinthians 5:17-19

For years I worked for a large corporation with a very large public image. It was important that representation be uniform, authentic, and according to standards set by the company's founders. There was a policy book and a dress code. There were regular inspections and strict criteria regarding employment. A position with the corporation was highly coveted and not easily procured. Not everyone who applied would be entrusted with representing and serving the company. Was this important business DOD blueprints or biological weaponry? Nope, I worked for a package delivery company. Teddy bears, window shades, documents, auto parts, slacks (Yes, they were slacks in those days) --that's what we delivered. And yet, the founders held the reputation of their enterprise in such high regard they made certain no delivery was too insignificant and no aspect of their service was a misrepresentation.

That's where the Holy Spirit took me when I was thinking of this passage in 2 Corinthians the other day. We are reconciled to God and our sin no longer separates us from a relationship with our Creator. Once we are made new in Christ, we are given the ministry of reconciliation. Just think about that for a minute. We are made new. Our relationship with God is restored. And that's it! Head on out and do your job. Bring others to Jesus. What kind of a business plan is that? You've got these people, wet behind the ears --or some of them have been in Christ for twenty years and they still have rough edges, they still struggle with relationships --and these are the people you hire for business development?

Look at Simon Peter --he wasn't always the Apostle Peter. This guy was rough! Even after spending three years side-by-side with Jesus, teaching, healing, feeding multitudes with less food many American families eat in at dinner --even after all of this, upon watching his Teacher and close Friend betrayed and beaten, heading to a cross, Peter curses Jesus. He curses to denigrate the holy and elevate the common. He curses to distance himself from sainthood and be at one with the world. Not exactly a shining moment for the ministry of reconciliation. Not exactly the guy you'd want on your billboard. But for God's grace... In John 21, we see the impassioned restoration of Peter. Reconciliation. And from that moment on, Peter is on fire!

You might think, if a business delivering sneakers and spatulas is so selective with regard to its agents and employees, God must want only the finest, most knowledgeable saints. God uses those He chooses and equips those He calls. We are imperfect long after we come to Jesus. We are human and tainted in our understanding; there are things just too large, just too deep for us to comprehend. We have differences and scars that can be impediments to loving others as Christ has loved us. We have many things clamoring for attention in a day that remains only twenty-four hours long. We have physical needs that sometimes go unmet. We are pathetic introverts and obnoxious extroverts; we are obsessive planners and reckless off-the-cuffers. We are just not close enough to who Jesus is to reflect Him completely and precisely. Nevertheless, we are given the task, we are employed by the Creator of the universe, we are commissioned by our Savior to introduce others to Him that they too, might be reconciled to God. We are His ambassadors. His Word and His Holy Spirit are the tools we are given to equip us for the assignment. We learn and we are changed as we spend more time working with these tools, but we will never wield them perfectly this side of Heaven. Will we misrepresent our King from time to time? Perhaps. Will we violate the dress code, putting on worry rather than arraying ourselves in trust? Perhaps. Will we violate policy with laziness rather than obeying with our whole heart? Perhaps. But know this, He who has called you to this work is faithful. We can do as He commands, we can be ministers of reconciliation because of His grace, given to us even in our weaknesses and limitations. He will get His glory, and we are unable to prevent that with our failures and foibles. What a gracious, magnanimous gift He has given us in allowing us to bring others to know Him! In allowing us to be the vessels through whom He brings others into His family! Represent Him well. Represent Him authentically. Represent Him according to the way He has called you and continues to equip you!

Photo courtesy LuAnn Martin