Philosophy of Life and Ministry

Philosophy of Life and Ministry

[Acts 20:24] “But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.”


Everybody lives for something or someone. Children often live to please their parents. The athlete lives to please his coach. A spouse might live to please their husband or wife and children. An employee labors to please his boss. The CEO works to please a board of directors. Let’s face it, some people live to please no one else other than themselves.
It is amazing the things people live for and invest their lives in. Some get caught up in saving extinct trees or animals. Others are consumed with civil rights and politics. There are some people who expend untold amounts of energy building a legacy to carry on after they are gone. Some work endless hours to build empires that eventually will be passed on to someone else.
Paul’s philosophy of life and ministry are captured in Acts 20:24. Notice how different it is from most philosophies of life and ministries. Paul right at the heart of it all minces no words and parts company with all who seek to lavish their lifestyles with comforts, securities, and accolades. He says, “I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself…” The word “dear” means valuable, costly, honored, or esteemed.
Think about how many live their lives in order to be highly esteemed and honored by others. Paul was not concerned with any of that. In fact, he repeatedly wrote that he chose to die to those things. “But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them but rubbish so that I might gain Christ.” [Phil 3:7-8]
Christ is the one who deserves to be honored, treasured, and highly esteemed in our lives. He is the one who should be the focal point rather than us counting our lives as dear in the eyes of others. Many may not struggle at that point but most will fall prey to the trap of counting our lives dear to ourselves. We have ongoing love affairs with ourselves day in and day out. We consider our lives valuable to us and worth whatever price luxury, riches, convenience, pleasure, and comfort requires. We are enamored with the American dream and see God’s dreams as inconvenient, risky, and completely out of touch with reality.
Where are the men and women who do not count their lives dear to themselves? I know there are some because young men and women often sacrifice the American dream to follow God’s dream to some foreign nation and readjust their lives to a foreign culture all for the sake of serving Christ. Such people are often considered extremist. What a shame that normal New Testament Christianity is now considered radical and extreme. The truth is that few have learned the secret of not counting our lives dear. That secret can be learned from Paul in [Gal 2:20] and [Gal 6:14]. Crucifying our lives in exchange for the life of Christ to be lived through us is the secret. Hudson Taylor, the devoted missionary to China and founder of the China Inland Mission, called it the exchanged life. When a person experiences this reality it is easy to relinquish the reigns of our lives over to the one who died to set us free from the domain of darkness and the slavery of sin. We die a spiritual death that results in a yielded life as a devoted slave of Christ to do His bidding. Such living is a small token of gratitude for the new and everlasting life we have through Christ.
The thing that motivated Paul was to finish the course and ministry which he had received from Christ. Many have started out well with Christ only to quit along the way or to crash and burn before reaching the finish line. Some grow weary and find the way of discipleship difficult. Others get tripped up by sin and find themselves ensnared in the enemy’s trap. Paul was focused on finishing strong. His eyes were on the prize. HisThe word “finish” means to complete, to accomplish the goal, and to bring to fulfillment. You know what I see regularly. Rather than God’s people getting focused on completing the kingdom ministry assignments He gives, many are content to shirk responsibility and cower in fear while living with the bedfellow of timidity.
Finishing the course God has set for your life will not prove to be boring. I assure you from personal experience that if you commit to finish the course God has designated for your life you will find yourself on the most thrilling adventure you can imagine. Still the majority holds back and half heartedly live their faith in a world that is looking for finishers and completers not beginners who get sidetracked by the lesser things of life.
If Jesus Christ is your Savior then He has a ministry for you. Everyone is not called to be a pastor, youth pastor, or missionary. Everyone does have a ministry. It might be teaching a small group, taking a short term mission trip, working in disaster relief, caring for the elderly, loving and investing in children, or involving yourself in a ministry that does not even exist yet but is waiting for your leadership to be given birth.
What will you do when you stand before Christ and the refining fire of His presence begins to burn through the things you invested your time, energy, your talents, and your resources in? If you ducked and dodged your course of ministry not completing it, what then? You will suffer loss [I Cor 3:10-15] and you will have wasted your life on trivial things that did not matter in the light of eternity.
There is no greater ministry than testifying about the gospel of the grace of God. Bring others to Jesus and do something that has eternal significance. It is not our job to do the saving but only the sharing. Christ is able to save all whom He chooses. I am thinking back over my life and thinking back on the number of people the Lord has saved and allowed me to testify about God’s redeeming grace. There was Bobby, Nick, Joe, Jennifer, Sue, Karen, Bill, Mindy, Averon on my college football team, Carrie, Cody, Bruce, the twin girls in Cuba along with the lady walking down the street, dozens and dozens in revivals all across the state of Texas and several other states along the way, teenagers at youth camps, adults in their homes, college students during a campus crusade, friends, family, and people right here from the Paradise community. Nothing gives my heart a charge like seeing people transformed by the redeeming work of Jesus Christ. He is mighty to save. Why not join in the adventure of winning souls. Completing this ministry makes life worth living and you will join God on the adventure of a lifetime that matters in the after life. Renounce your life, embrace your ministry and finish the course. I am not saying it will always be easy but I assure you it will not be boring.