The Christian’s relationship at times is unfathomable. For this reason, it may be difficult to conceive that believers can actually minister to the Lord. Yet, the pages of God’s word declare that it is not only possible but a big part of being saved. Ministering to the Lord is done by fulfilling the ministry of the word, the ministry of reconciliation, and the ministry of the saints. Additionally, you can visualize it by considering that ministering to the Lord is accomplished when believers do anything that offers God the praise and honour due Him. In Acts chapter 13, the believers “ministered unto the Lord” and though the passage does not offer specifics on what this entailed, an understanding of the previously mentioned ministries sheds light on their efforts.
As is common with church growth, problems arose very early in the church at Jerusalem. Acts chapter 6 tells us of the Grecians who began to murmur against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected (Acts 6:1). The apostles chose not to ignore the problem but to tackle it head on. Yet, they understood their primary responsibilities of not leaving their study of the word of God in order to focus on handling the strife. The apostles instructed the disciples in the church to choose seven men to deal with this particular issue and similar issues that might arise later (Acts 6:3). The Bible also points out that the apostles determined to give themselves “continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4). They understood that their study and distribution of the word of God was to take the preeminence in their ministry.
Today's passage proves the Bible truth that our thoughts are not God’s thoughts, neither our ways His ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). God's thoughts are always unimaginably loftier than ours. Unlike God, our thoughts are bound by our limited knowledge. Contrary to the Lord’s, our knowledge is easily corrupted through various influences. This is why scripture reading and preaching often conflicts with our natural thought process. For instance, our natural mind considers rebuke something harmful, negatively affecting the person receiving it. We also naturally consider flattery as something beneficial and uplifting to the recipient. Yet, we have already seen how flattery can be harmful, but have you ever considered the superiority of a rebuke? The Bible says rebuke is better because of what it yields “afterwards.” In the long run, rebuke is far superior to flattery.
