Most people think that ministry is only limited to pastors and other church leaders, but this is not so. The word "ministry" came from the greek word "diakoneo" which means "to serve," or the word "duoleuo," which means "to serve as a slave." Following these definitions, a person can do ministry to the Lord Jesus in pretty much any capacity.
The Bible has various examples showing that ministry can take on many forms, such as Tabitha's service to the poor and Stephen's attending to the needs of Hellenistic widows, both of which can be found in the book of Acts. This simply shows that any person can be of great service to the Lord's purposes!
In fact, the great reformer Martin Luther once said "[t]he idea that service to God should have only to do with a church altar, singing, reading, sacrifice, and the like is without doubt but the worst trick of the devil." We should break free from the idea that ministry is confined within the four walls of the church!
Think about it. Your business can be used to bring the Gospel to people! Do you own a restaurant? You can feed the homeless once in a while and use that same feeding event to spread the Gospel. Are you a salesman? Let your graceful speech and friendly attitude bring someone close to Christ!
Whatever you do
Paul said "[w]hatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters" (see Colossians 3:23). Our motive here is that in all that we do, whether in our careers or not, we do it unto the Lord. Anything you do can be an act of service to God!
The greatest servant
Let's consider the greatest servant of all: the Lord Jesus Himself. Matthew 20:28 says "the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." And what did He do? He didn't just stay in the synagogues to teach during His time – He "went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him" (see Acts 10:38). He had all kinds of people follow Him, and He taught them how to pray and love God. He fed thousands of people, taught many, including a Pharisee named Nicodemus (see John 3), healed the sick, and raised the dead.
More than that, before He left the earth to sit at the right hand of God, Jesus commanded His disciples to "go and make disciples of all nations" (see Matthew 28:18-20). This means that every Christ-follower, whether a businessman, a teacher, a chef, a delivery man or a pastor, is given the mandate to reach all kinds of people with the Gospel. Serve the Lord in every way you can!
