In-Born Ministry
Fruitfulness is not the result of striving but of abiding in Christ.
John 15:16 (WEY): “It is not you who chose Me, but it is I who chose you and appointed you that you might go and be fruitful.”
Summary of the Devotional Insight
True ministry is not a task we take upon ourselves—it is something born within us, just as we are born into Christ. God has not called us to work for Him in our own effort, but to express His life through us. If service is merely an activity rather than a sharing of His life, it lacks eternal value.
T. Austin-Sparks warns that God never values work above character. The true measure of ministry is not how much is accomplished but how much of Christ is evident in the work and in the worker. Likewise, J.C. Metcalfe emphasizes that the Gospel’s power is not in eloquence or technique, but in the lives of those it has transformed. Without the reality of Christ’s life in us, even the grandest ministry efforts become mere noise (1 Cor. 13:1).
Isaiah 43:10 reminds us that we are not self-appointed laborers but chosen witnesses of His life. Our ministry is not what we do for Him, but what He does through us as we abide in Him.
Personal Journal Entry
Lord, You are the one who called me, appointed me, and placed me in Your service—not as a worker striving to accomplish things for You, but as a vessel through whom You express Yourself. What a difference that makes! No longer do I measure effectiveness by effort, but by the reality of Your life within me.
How often I have seen others chase after ministry positions or try to manufacture fruitfulness, as if success were determined by numbers, reputation, or strategies. But You have made it clear—apart from You, there is nothing of eternal value. You are not interested in impressive resumes; You are forming Christ in me. That is the only ministry that matters.
I see now that ministry is not a separate part of life. It is not a profession, a role, or a duty—it is the outflow of union with You. There is no need to force ministry into existence or anxiously search for opportunities. The life You have placed within me naturally bears fruit as I rest in You. Just as a tree does not strain to produce fruit, so I do not strive to make ministry happen. Your life in me is enough.
Thank You for delivering me from the burden of religious striving. You have not asked me to achieve, only to abide. And as I abide, the fragrance of Christ is made known to others—not because I try harder, but because You are fully present in me. That is true witness. That is true ministry.
Prayer
Father, I praise You for choosing me—not for a task, but for Yourself. I rest in the certainty that my life is already hidden in Christ, and as I abide, fruitfulness is inevitable. I trust You to express Your life through me, knowing that any true ministry comes from You and not from my effort. May the measure of my life not be what I do, but how evident Christ is in me. Thank You for the simplicity of Your calling—to rest, to abide, and to witness the power of Your indwelling life. Amen.
Credits
Devotional insights adapted from Abide Above (March 8: In-Born Ministry)
Photo credit: Unsplash
Unsplash Image Note:
Image: Note that the ripe fruit hangs effortlessly