Take Your Stand

Isaiah 60:^1&3 “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you… Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.’ (NIV)

We erroneously think that it is those who are in ‘full-time’ ministry that are in the centre of God’s will. We look at people in ‘full-time’ ministry thinking to ourselves that one day when we make enough money and do not need a salary from the church, then we can finally be in the centre of God’s will for our lives. But God is saying to us today, as far as He is concerned, there is actually no differentiation between what we call spiritual and what we call secular. I know that this is a lot for some of us because we have been indoctrinated to think that there is a class of people who are the special ones. And the rest of us, when we grow up, we can be like them. Nothing can be farther from the truth than that.

What God is saying is that in the Kingdom of God, there is no divide. God never made a distinction between sacred and secular. Every Christian is in ministry. Do I get an Amen? Am I saying that a Christian teaching in a school is in ministry? Yes, you are in ministry. Even those working in XYZ Corporation, balancing accounts, or working in marketing, that is ministry. In fact, the root word, the Hebrew word Avodah means worship. Guess what? It is the same root word for work. God is saying, if you are a bricklayer, or a builder, or an architect, your work is worship. God sees our work as worship. We often think that it is only when we gather together in a church or fellowship setting that it is worship. But all of work is Kingdom work, and all of work is worship.

There is no such thing as secular work—none! As a policeman, customs officer, or firefighter discharging your duties, you are in ministry. Some of us are saying even right now that it does not feel like ministry and the reason is, you have not been told that it is. It is because you do not understand that the anointing that was smeared on you in Zion, you are to take it to work and operate in that anointing. When I was in paid employment, I would say to my boss at the time that I do not think we should move in a certain direction. ‘Let’s go in this direction instead’. The very first time I said that to him, he was angry.  But I insisted and I said that as the new head of department, I will make the call and take responsibility for the outcome. He agreed but he walked me out of his office. And it turned out exactly as I said. What do you think happened after that? In church, we call that the prophetic.

Prayer: Father, I arise and I shine for my light has come. I take my stand and shine as light, let nations and kings come to my light, in the Mighty Name of Jesus. Amen!