Have you ever longed for a ministry gift? Well, here’s one, it’s pretty neglected, and sadly there aren’t many people jumping into this pool! “And God has made all things new, and reconciled us to Himself, and given US the ministry of reconciling others to God. In other words, it was through the Anointed One that God was shepherding the world, not even keeping records of their transgressions, and He has entrusted to us the ministry of opening the door of reconciliation to God. We are ambassadors of the Anointed One who carry the message of Christ to the world, as though God were tenderly pleading with them directly through our lips. So we tenderly plead with you on Christ’s behalf, “Turn back to God and be reconciled to Him.”” 2 Corinthians 5:18-20.

The Lord trusts us to represent Him with a loving attitude toward everyone we meet every day. So whenever I meet someone – I always figure HE sent them! I don’t much like to wallop others over the head with the bible, it is not at all friendly! Instead I treat other people like they are special, because HE loves them. Like Ruth with Naomi, I’m going wherever Jesus goes. And His people are my people, despite denominational boundaries! I like the bible suggestion … ‘if they are thirsty, give them a drink … if they are hungry, feed them.’ That’s a great system. 

So. I listen, then I do what He tells me to do. This means I don’t give every street person I meet a couple of sandwiches, I wait for the Lord. Then He says: “Give this one some food.” The Holy Spirit has been known to speak very loudly to me if I become distracted, and gone off somewhere irrelevant inside my mind. My dear hubby has had to run down the street after someone to finish what I was supposed to do! Meanwhile street people don’t have a lot to do with their time so we often give them spirit food as well. A book, or a gospel. 

Our main objective is to tell other people God is not mad at them. That’s what reconciliation means! This is something that we have in common with everyone else in this world. We all need to be reconciled to God – but most people-who-don’t-know-Him-yet – don’t know how. Just because someone told me about Jesus and what He did for me — and I said ‘yes please!’ That doesn’t make me special – it just makes me HIS. I’m not much of a fancy-schmancy person. so when I speak to someone else I like to use ordinary words because my aim is to be understood, not just show off my personal knowledge. Nothing will close a door to someone’s heart faster than if we think we are better than the people we meet. Judgment of any kind is deadly!

Meanwhile, we aren’t the door – we are simply the doorman! HE IS THE DOOR. All we do is we open the door for anyone who wants to know more about Him. It’s a heart thing – we open our heart to their hearts so He can speak to them. It is a great relief to me that I don’t have to be the door, because the pressure to perform would probably nag at me, and I’d focus on all the wrong things. As it is, I daily struggle with saying things in a simple way that will facilitate the hearer’s understanding.

I am all about action – I think believing and doing nothing is just like chasing the wind. I’ve met a few windy-gassy people in my life, all talk, lots of hot air, and no action. That’s when I decided that I’d rather be like Jesus Who always ushers in LIFE. I just listen to what He wants and then I obey Him. Over the years I’ve watched the Lord open up someone’s heart right in front of me. It just blows my mind every single time. To speak to someone else, on His behalf, when they are extremely vulnerable is a huge privilege. The Holy Spirit speaks to me through the bible most of the time. He very kindly brings verses to my mind.. 

I’m getting older, and a bit forgetful, and sometimes I forget what I am going to say next. Meanwhile, if someone interrupts my train of thought then …I’d better wave goodbye to that thought because it’s gone! But in spite of my age, my knowledge of the bible is always there. That is a wonder! I have no idea how it can possibly happen, but the bible feels just like my blood running about, unseen, inside me. 

It is squarely fixed in my heart, and even when my head is in a muddle, I can still speak from my heart! I didn’t even set out to memorise every word, I think I was too lazy to do that. I just read and reread His book daily, heaps and heaps of times over the years, and quite a bit of it sunk in! And then the precious Holy Spirit utterly  blows my mind — He hands me exactly what I need … just like someone would hand me a cup of tea! A verse pops into my head and away ‘we’ go.

Meanwhile, I figure if Almighty God Himself doesn’t hold our transgressions against us, then I have no right at all to choose to hold a grudge – no matter what my reason says to me. So my default position is to put down my own defensiveness, and head back toward love asap. Especially when I get grumpy or disappointed with my circumstances, or someone else. There are days when that can take me a while. But Jesus’ blood covered everyone’s sin, not just mine.

It’s simply my job to open His door so He can introduce Himself to others, and they can walk in and get to know Him. Day by day, I deliberately count on the fact that Jesus knows how to reach every one of them. I’d rather be  a doorman in His house, than do anything else. (Psalm 86:10) Bye 👋