Spiritual Ministry, Part 2

The apostle Peter divides ministries into two general categories.

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. ¹¹If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. – 1 Peter 4:10-11

Last week, we looked at examples of verbal service; today, we’ll delve into hands-on ministry.

But keep in mind that both forms are spiritual and both are gifts from God. One type isn’t better than the other. Though they differ in how they operate, speaking and serving aim to glorify the Lord and build up the body of Christ.

If you’re anointed to communicate the gospel, keep developing your ministry. Don’t look down on those who work with their hands; their ministry is important!

And the opposite is also true. Christians skilled in practical ministries shouldn’t disdain preaching or praying. I realize that words alone aren’t always enough. The apostle James reminds of this when he asks, “Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶If one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?” (James 2:15-16).

And John says pretty much the same thing: “If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? ¹⁸Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth” (1 John 3:17-18).

Words matter, sure, but actions count!

The book of Acts illustrates the value of hands-on ministry.

In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor. ³⁷About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. ³⁸Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Please come at once!” ³⁹Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them. ⁴⁰Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. ⁴¹He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive. ⁴²This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. – Acts 9:36-42

This is an amazing account of a miraculous restoration. Tabitha, a devoted Christian servant, was dead, but through Peter, God’s power brought her back to life! News spread fast in the region, and people came to Christ as a result. Praise God for that!

But let’s not overlook something. Verse 39 mentions the widows grieving over Tabitha and pointing to all the garments she’d made for the poor (see verse 36). How good were the clothes she created that people would point to them while she lay in state? Tabitha had talent! The Lord so blessed her ministry that at her death, the garments she made testified to her caring heart and practical ability. 

Shouldn’t we strive for the same?

What we do reveals what’s in our hearts. Our deeds express what we value, what we’re good at, what we deem worth our time and effort. Helping out the poor is one way to share the love and creativity of Jesus with those who need Him.

Tabitha is an excellent New Testament example of being a practical minister. But she’s not the only one. The Old Testament provides a precedent.

Then Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the LORD has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, ³¹and He has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills– ³²to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, ³³to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic crafts. ³⁴And He has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. ³⁵He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers–all of them skilled workers and designers. – Exodus 35:30-35

The Tabernacle didn’t build itself! God gave Moses the plans for the facility, but also the people to construct it. And these workers weren’t on their own. Their abilities derived from the Holy Spirit. Craftsmanship, at least in this context, is a spiritual gift.

But I should point out that verbal and practical ministries don’t function in isolation from each other. Verse 34 says that Bezalel and Oholiab were able to instruct others in these crafts. They not only did the work, but they trained people who wanted to serve.

The bottom line is that, regardless of its form, spiritual ministry has a common source: the Holy Spirit. And it has common goals: to exalt the Lord and help people. The gospel of Jesus Christ ministers to every aspect of life. It redeems us in complete fashion: spirit, soul, and body.

So pursue the anointing of God’s Spirit. To be fruitful in whatever way you serve Jesus, you will need the Spirit. Whether raising the dead or sewing clothes, we can depend on Him to bless our work!