I am a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What did you think when you read that? Was the first thought that came to your mind … full time, pulpit, pastoring ministry in a church? Or was your first thought … “so am I.”
It should be the latter. The Greek word for minister is diakonos. That comes from diako which means to run errands. Minister simply means “servant.” I could just have easily begun this devotion with the sentence “I am a servant of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Paul advised Timothy: “If you point these things out (godless myths, lies, deceiving spirits) to the brothers, you will be a good minister [servant] of Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed.” [1 Timothy 4:6]
There is another Greek word we should consider when we speak of being servants of the Lord. It is the word doulos. It means simply “a slave.” Paul used this word in 1 Corinthians 4:5: “For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants [slaves] for Jesus’ sake.”
A servant is usually paid staff. A slave is owned by someone. We are both paid servants of Jesus Christ, in that we will receive rewards for things we have done with eternal value; and, we are slaves of Jesus Christ, owned by Him, bought with His precious blood.
I am a willing servant and surrendered slave of the LORD Jesus Christ. I am a minister of the Gospel. So are you!
I can think of no higher calling, can you?
