I Am A Minister

(Note: This is a declaration written by Roger Fields originally titled “The Calling” with some minor edits.)

I minister to the largest mission field in the world.  I minister to people.  My calling is sure.  My challenge is big.  My vision is clear.  My desire is strong.  My influence is eternal.  My impact is critical.  My values are solid.  My faith is tough.  My mission is urgent.  My purpose is unmistakable.  My direction is forward.  My heart is genuine.  My strength is supernatural.  My reward is promised.  And my God is real.

In a world of cynicism, I offer hope.  In a world of confusion, I offer truth.  In a world of immorality, I offer values.  In a world of neglect, I offer attention.  In a world of abuse, I offer safety.  In a world of ridicule, I offer affirmation.  In a world of division, I offer reconciliation.  In a world of bitterness, I offer forgiveness.  In a world of sin, I offer salvation.  In a world of hate, I offer God’s love.

I refuse to be dismayed, disengaged, disgruntled, discouraged or distracted.  Neither will I look back, stand back, fall back, go back or sit back.  I do not need applause, flattery, adulation, prestige, stature or veneration.  I do not have time for business as usual, mediocre standards, small thinking, outdated methods, normal expectations, average results, ordinary ideas, petty disputes or low vision.  I will not give up, give in, bail out, lie down, turn over, quit or surrender.  I will pray when things look bad.  I will pray when things look good.  I will move forward when others stand still.  I will trust God when obstacles arise.  I will work when the task is overwhelming.  I will get up when I fall down.

My calling is to reach the lost for God.  It is too serious to be taken lightly, too urgent to be postponed, too vital to be ignored, too relevant to be overlooked, too significant to be trivialized, too eternal to be fleeting and too passionate to be quenched.

I know my mission.  I know my challenge.  I also know my limitations, my weaknesses, my fears and my problems.  And I know my God.  Let others get the praise.  Let the church get the blessing.  Let God get the glory.

I am a minister.  I minister to people.  This is who I am.  This is what I do.

“And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ.  And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.” - 2 Corinthians 5:18 (NLT)