Why? Part 1

We are constantly re-evaluating our ministry. It's not that we're unsure of what God would have us to do, but sometimes we wonder if we're doing it in the most effective way. And if we're doing it in the way God would have us to, are we communicating that well to others?

Our ministry philosophy is that ministry is life. That may seem like a very general term that is designed to keep us from being accountable for our ministry, but it isn't designed for that purpose. It holds us accountable for the decisions that we make, the things that we do, and the way that we live our lives, and it recognizes that God is the One Who gives the increase. We feel that the things that we do and say should fall under the two commandments that Jesus referenced in Mark 12:

Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

We set our priorities for ministry living from these two commandments. The first priority is our relationship with God. If we don't maintain our spiritual and private lives, we won't be of help to the people who need us--believers and unbelievers alike. Rusty and I push each other to improve our attitudes, increase the quality of our devotional lives, read quality books that will push us to the next level in our spiritual lives, and take care of our witness in front of others and in what we do when no one is watching. Obviously we make a lot of mistakes because we're not perfect people, but it is the prayer on our hearts each morning that God will use us to make a difference here or wherever He places us.

I don't think one can stress the importance of what you do when nobody's looking. I'll close with a couple of quotes from Hand Me Another Brick by Charles Swindoll. He writes that "successful leaders know how to handle themselves in solitude." He also writes that "It is not in the rush and the hurry of activity that a person gains the respect of those around him; it is what he does when he is all alone." We could fill our lives with activity, but if we're not loving God with our private lives, it all becomes vanity. That's why this first commandment is so important--it transcends every second of our days, and it's something to consider carefully when you're ministering.