Whenever we leave for a trip, whether for a week or for an overnight stay, we must check to see that we have all we need. Do we have money? Do we have our phone chargers? Do we have a change of clothes, and on and on? We want to be ready for whatever we face.
In Luke we have this passage of Jesus sending out the disciples to do ministry. What did Jesus give them? What were they to do? What were they NOT to take?
It seems that Jesus’ instructions were just the opposite of what you might expect. These men who were going out into the unknown to do God’s work were told not to take anything with them. They did not need money or food. They did not need extra clothing or even a walking stick.
They went into ministry with nothing. Or so it would seem.
In fact they went out into ministry with a great amount. They had the authority and power that Jesus had given them. They had the power of Christ to heal and preach.
They also had the incredible asset of themselves. They were taking their own abilities, their own thoughts and intellect, their own personalities into ministry. And this would be enough for them. They would have to be real and honest with the people they met and they would need to share themselves as part of their preaching.
Like these twelve disciples we also take with us ourselves. We take our own hopes and dreams, our own likes and dislikes. And we take our own experiences and our own faith with us.
When we go out into the world we are taking ourselves and our faith as the wonderful tools we need to do God’s work. And like the disciples we are also bringing the authority and ability of our Savior. When we do ministry we must be certain that we are real – honest, open, transparent – to the people we will meet. That is our greatest asset.
DAILY CHALLENGE: What faith story can you share in your ministry?
