In 1 Timothy 1:12, Paul says, “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry.” Like Paul, I am amazed at the goodness and grace of God that He would include me in this glorious privilege called ministry.

Ministry is a privilege because of the present blessings. “With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you,” Jesus said (Mark 4:24). That is, what we give out, we’ll get back. And I have found that to be oh, so true. When I pray for others, I get blessed. When I share with others, I am confirmed in the truth of the Scriptures. When I witness to others, my own faith grows deeper, stronger, and more powerful.

This should not be surprising. After all, Jesus promised we would receive power to become His witnesses (Acts 1:8). And the word He used for power was dunamis, from which we get our word “dynamite.” This dynamic experience, this power is like an electrical charge. Therefore, like electricity, it will only enter that from which it can exit. The power, the electricity, and the anointing of the Holy Spirit is given to you that it might flow through you to others. The one who wants to be used by the Lord in the lives of others will experience the electric, dynamic power of the Spirit. That’s why I love being in the ministry.

Second, I enjoy being in the ministry because of future rewards. What we do in ministry - even as simple as giving a cup of cold water in Jesus’ name - will be rewarded by the Lord and will impact us eternally (Matthew 10:42). You might think you don’t care about rewards. But you will then. When we get to Heaven and rewards are given, you’ll say, “I wish I would have taken more seriously the admonitions to strive to run the race, to win the prize, to gain the crown” (see Philippians 3:14).

Third, I love the ministry because of real needs. People all around us are lost. Wandering around like sheep without a shepherd, they don’t know what to do. They’re depressed, discouraged, and worst of all, without Jesus, they’re headed for hell. They don’t know that God sent His Son not to condemn them, but to save them, to die in place of them that they might be forgiven of their sins and might spend eternity in Heaven (John 3:17). So I say, “Lord, thank You for allowing me to be in the ministry because I see people all around me who are confused, and You’ve given such simple and significant answers for me to share with them.”

And He’s given the same opportunity to you, for although you might earn a living as a schoolteacher, a carpenter, or an electrician, you are in the ministry every bit as much as I am. The division between the clergy and the laity is a man-made distinction without biblical basis, for Jesus said, “Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain” (John 15:16).