"She Arose and Ministered Unto Them..."

Luke 4:39

And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her: and immediately she arose and ministered unto them. 

I have seen this same phrase a number of times throughout the gospels, and every time I run across it, the same truth resonates in my mind and speaks to my heart. I wholeheartedly believe that every Christian is called to minister to others. Jesus is our greatest example of that truth, for His life was all about serving others (Matthew 20:28). Although we are all called to serve, I can't help but notice one word that, as far as I know, is in every account of scripture that this phrase is used. It says, "SHE arose and ministered unto them." I believe that there is a special place in the heart of a woman that truly desires to serve. I think that God has placed a special kindness and compassion  in our hearts that allows us to serve others in a unique way. There are many, many ways that we can minister to others. It could by showing hospitality to a new family that just joined the church, or by preparing a meal for a family that just lost a loved one. Or it could be a simple act of service: noticing someone that is having a rough day and taking the time to share an encouraging word with them or a kind smile. Whatever it may be, I desire to be a woman with a serving, ministering heart: A woman that puts the needs of others before my own. 

In this account of scripture (Luke 4:39), Peter's mother-in-law had been "taken with great fever", and Jesus had just healed her. What stood out to me is that it says she immediately arose and ministered unto them. Now, i'm sure she was probably feeling wonderful considering the fact that Jesus had just healed her! But when I read that, I thought about how I might have acted if I had just been sick. After I had been healed, I probably would have complained and went on about how sick I was and how now I just needed to rest and recover and so on... [come on...you know you probably would have done the same ;)] But she immediately got up and focused on the needs of the people around her, despite what she had just gone through.  No matter what is going on in our lives, whether it be a sickness or a burden or a busy schedule, in the midst of it all, we should try to look for ways to serve others.  

It is so easy to get so wrapped up in self. And sometimes, we get so wrapped up in ourselves and our schedules, that we become blinded to the needs of the people around us. I am so guilty of this at times. There is a great joy that comes from ministering to others, and I don't want to miss out on that joy. I have begun to ask God to give me opportunities to minister and the eyes to see the opportunities He puts in my path. I also have begun to ask Him, "Lord, who can I minister to today?, and "How can I minister to that person?" God has been faithful to answer these prayers. For the wife, you might ask,"Lord, how can I minister to my husband today?" And for the Mom, "Lord, how can I minister to my children today?" For the college student, you might ask, "Lord, who can I encourage today?" During your trip to the grocery store, you can ask, "Lord, how can I be a help to someone in here today?"

 God might give you an extra errand to run for your husband that is out of your way, or He might require you to spend an extra hour cleaning the kitchen because your kid's wanted to make cookies. He might ask the college student to put down her studies and call a friend who is in need of some encouragement. Maybe He will ask you to pay the grocery bill for the lady in front of you that forgot her wallet at home? I don't know how He will ask you or me to minister today, but I do know we have a choice in how we look at each situation that comes up. We can either see them as inconveniences and gripe and complain, or we can see these situations as a way to bless others. Will I always do it perfectly and without complaint? No, probably not. Will I always have a willing, joyful heart and attitude that desires to immediately meets the needs of others? No, probably not. But Jesus is continually working on me and He knows that I want His words, attitude and heart of love to flow out of me and be poured onto others every day. Through ministering to others, I will also minister to the heart of God. I'd venture to say that you want that too :).  And when I am gone and out of this world, I pray it is said of me that I was a woman who "immediately arose and ministered unto them..." 

Amie

Stuck!

When I looked out the door earlier today, I saw that the sleet was coming down hard, icicles had formed on the tree branches and the roads were covered in snow. Obviously, today wasn't the day to get out and about considering Georgia is having its “2014 Ice Storm.” There’s no school and no work because it’s too dangerous to go anywhere, so basically I’m just kind of…stuck.

 Have you ever felt that way? Not just when there is an ice storm outside, but how about in life? As I thought about that earlier, I remembered a few situations in my life where I have felt really, really stuck.

The first one that came to my mind was when I was little. I always felt stuck. I didn’t like small spaces, I didn’t like being tickled, I didn’t like being hugged very much and I didn’t like being squeezed really tight because I HATED feeling stuck! In fact, I would yell, “Let me go! I’m stuck, I’m stuck!” and eventually end up in tears. Basically I had a serious case of claustrophobia…Lol.

And then I can remember another time in my life that I felt stuck. I had just graduated high school, my college plans had fallen apart, my heart was broken, and I was struggling with and trying to deal with severe anxiety and fear. It was a year full of up’s and down’s and it was a very confusing time in my life. I had never had to go through anything like that, and it was difficult, but the most frustrating thing was that I felt sooooo stuck. Stuck in my situations, stuck in my heart break, stuck in my fear, just stuck plain stuck!

My God is faithful, and He delivered me out of all of that. He healed my heart and gave me peace of mind and opened up the door for me to move and eventually opened up the door for college, and I didn’t feel stuck anymore. Looking back now, I see the growth that took place in me during those hard times. He didn’t allow those things to happen to me to make me feel stuck and frustrated, but He had a deep purpose in it all and is continuing to teach me about waiting on Him.

 I don’t know what you are going through in life that might be making you feel stuck. Maybe you feel stuck in a difficult job that you don’t enjoy. Maybe you feel stuck in an ongoing conflict in a relationship. Maybe your ring finger still has no diamond, and you feel stuck in singleness. Maybe you feel stuck in a series of health issues that seem never ending, or financial burdens that make you feel like you can barely keep your head above water…I don’t know where your “stuck” is today, but I do know that “stuck” isn’t the way God wants you to feel.

So…what do you do when you feel stuck?

  1) Stay in His Placing

God has you at this place in your life for a reason and purpose.

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven,

Ecclesiastes 3:1

It's not exactly my dream to have to spend most of my free time studying, or get up really early to work a job that makes me smell like chicken lol. I’d love to be a wife and someday a mommy and in full time ministry etc., but I know that God is doing some of His greatest work in me, right where I am at. He is preparing me for my purpose and my passion. If I always have an “I’m stuck” attitude and complain about things I might not like, then I’m missing the whole point and I have the wrong perspective. He gives me opportunities each day to minister to and serve others. . I don’t want to miss out on them. There is a purpose in His placing; stay until He moves.

2)  Sit Still in His Presence

When I sit still in His presence, and mediate on Him, my thoughts are clear, my spirit is uplifted, my soul is refreshed and my joy is restored.  Jesus wants us to have a heart that is resting in Him, not restless. He wants us to sit still, and let Him move and work in our situations. Sometimes I get myself so worked up about things, all because I want to fix and solve everything right here and right now. I want to work things out in my timing when He just wants me to sit still. He's working on me ;)

Thou wilt show me the path of life, in thy presence is fullness of joy, at thy right hand there is pleasure forevermore…Psalm 16:11

2)       Study His Promises

There is such peace in His promises and such power in His truth. Doubt and fear can get the best of us in these “stuck” places, and when we don’t quite understand why we are facing certain situations. It’s important to drown out those negative thoughts and emotions with His truth and with His precious promises! Read them until they sink in and get deep into your mind and heart. Recall them when you start feeling stuck. His Word will not return void!  

The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.

Psalm 119:130

3)  Sing His Praises

I love to sing, but there are definitely times when I don’t feel like doing it. The Bible says to worship God in spirit and in truth, though…in spirit when we feel it and in truth when we don’t! We have everything to praise Him for, and our worship to Him will glorify Him and bring us out of our stuck.

Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing…

Psalm 100:1

 4) Speak of His Power

A lot of customers that come eat at Chick-Fil-A are believers, and I have gotten in many conversations with them about the Lord. We will either talk about how He saved us or what He brought us out of or just how good He is! Those conversations are the most encouraging ones that I have all day! Speaking of His power will get your focus ON His power and off your “stuck” perspective of life. 

I will speak of thy glorious majesty, and of thy wondrous works

Psalm 145:5

  

6)       Push in Prayer

Staying in His placing and sitting in His presence does not mean simply doing nothing until He decides to work and move. There is a big difference. We are to PUSH in prayer:

 Pray

Until

Something

 Happens

 Ultimately, that stuck feeling that we sometimes get in life should bring us to our knees and cause us to cry out to Him. He wants to work and move in our lives and answer our prayers and take us straight into our passion and purpose. He wants us to dream big for Him and give us the desires of our hearts, but it takes preparation. During that preparation, we need to be praying and petitioning more than ever. I have seen the power of prayer in my life and in the lives of those around me, but sometimes, I don’t see God’s hand at work and I get frustrated and want to just give up. That’s when we gotta PUSH!!!

 

Stuck is a bad feeling to feel and place to be, and Jesus doesn't want us there. He is helping me in this area and I hope and pray He uses this to help you! Jesus wants me to go from sometimes feeling stuck, to always feeling and being satisfied fully satisfied in  Him. And that's exactly where He wants you, too. <3