1 Corinthians 16:8 But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, 9 because a great door for effective work has opened to me, even though many oppose me.

Real ministry for Jesus will always bring you to the point of sacrifice. If you examine the Biblical example of people following Jesus, you will most often notice an immediate or eventual point of sacrifice upon the person who has decided to follow Jesus. For the disciples, they left their businesses, their careers, and were required to spend much time away from their families. When Jesus gave the example of what it meant to fulfill the second greatest commandment of loving your neighbor as yourself, He pointed out the sacrifice a Samaritan man was willing to make that religious people avoided. It seems that in our current culture, there are few willing to serve or follow past the point of their own conveniences.

1 Corinthians 16:8 describes a time when Paul’s ministry was growing in conditions that were nowhere near perfect. Paul decided the risk was worth the reward. If Paul had decided to only minister when and where it was convenient, he would have missed out on some of the most fruitful seasons of his life. The same is true for you. If you only minister when you feel like it, when it is convenient, or when it is something you enjoy doing then you are going to miss out on some of the most rewarding and mind-blowing things that God wants to do in your life. When you are serving out of sacrifice your ministry becomes about Jesus and about others. It is in moments of sacrifice that you best represent the ministry of Jesus and you most identify with His heart.

Today’s Challenge: Don’t step down from ministering for the Lord. Step up to a new level of ministry. Minister when you feel like it and when you don’t. Minister when it fits your schedule and when it doesn’t. It is in the moments of sacrifice that you will most resemble the heart of Jesus.