“And tell Archippus, ‘Pay attention to the ministry you have received in the Lord, so that you can accomplish it.’” (Colossians 4:17)
What a weird verse to jump out at me at the start of a new year.
Once again, the Lord proves that he knows me and where I’m at spiritually, mentally, and emotionally.
I’m not going to lie. I’ve been letting my spiritual life slip. The passion that I’ve had to pursue the Lord for who He is and not what He can do for me has waned over the last few months. Some of it I can attribute to life-shaking events, such as my dad’s death on November 9. He sensed he wasn’t long for this world and asked that my wife and I fly from Florida to Minnesota as soon as possible so he could complete some end-of-life arrangements. It was very emotional.
Jeanne and I returned home only to be notified that my dad had died a few days later. We turned around and jetted up for the funeral a week to the day after his passing. Then, we helped my stepmom begin the arduous process of settling his estate. Then, we flew back home to try to resume some semblance of our everyday life with its regular rhythm.
Not so much. Phone calls, deadlines, family squabbles, and a flood of other concerns broke over me. Now, you’d think that the first place I would go to relieve the stress is Jesus. Nope. I foolishly turned to the old video screens to distract me.
One of the first indicators that I’ve slipped spiritually is my Bible reading. More specifically, a lack thereof. It’s pretty ironic coming from a guy whose ministry is to encourage people to get into the word on a regular basis. Yeah, well, I struggle with that just like y’all do, especially when life gets wild. At those times, it takes a lot more of the Lord’s grace, the Spirit’s conviction, and my willpower to get back on track.
The second indicator is that I begin to tolerate sin. Again, that requires grace, conviction, and willpower to combat.
But it’s the third indicator I’m focusing on right now. I feel that my devotion to ministry is flagging a bit. Maybe it’s a little fatigue. Maybe it’s a touch of discouragement. Most likely, it’s my spiritual gift of self-pity. I throw great pity parties. All kidding aside, I think my problem is that I’m losing focus a bit. My attention to ministry details has blurred.
One thing about death is that it is a magnificent clarifier.
News of someone’s passing often gives me pause. I reflect on the life they lived. Did they take advantage of the opportunities that came their way to improve the world around them? The Jewish community calls this tikkun olam, repairing the world. If the person lived well, what was their impact? Were they singularly focused on serving the Lord or living a self-focused, dissipated life as so many are wont to do today?
My dad’s death, my subsequent ministry malaise, and the turn of the year prompted me to some weighty introspection. It’s time to “kick the tires and light the fires, big daddy” (hat tip to Harry Connick, Jr. as a fighter pilot in the movie Independence Day).
I guess that was why I was primed to receive the Holy Spirit’s nudge when He illuminated a seemingly insignificant verse, “And tell Archippus, ‘Pay attention to the ministry you have received in the Lord, so that you can accomplish it’” (Colossians 4:17).
This verse is a word not just for me but for everyone who is walking with the Lord.
When we’re saved, reborn, born-again, regenerated, adopted into God’s family, or whatever descriptor you want to use for leaving Satan’s kingdom and becoming a subject of the Father’s kingdom, we’re all handed an assignment. For some of us, it’s very general – “Live your life like Jesus and for Him.” For others, it’s more specific – “Serve your local congregation as an elder, deacon, apostle, prophet, pastor, teacher, evangelist, ministry leader, ministry participant, groundskeeper, food shelf helper, etc.” We’re all called to serve our King within the Body and outside in the community.
The word for ministry in the above verse refers to serving in some capacity. In context, it means an assignment to serve in the way the Lord has equipped you. Peter calls himself Jesus’ “servant” before he calls himself an apostle. Regardless of whether we have a specific function apart from anyone else in God’s kingdom, we’re all called to be servants of the Most High God.
Therefore, along the lines of Paul’s exhortation to Archippus, we are to “pay attention to the (call to service) we have received from the Lord, so that (we) can accomplish it.” “Can” has to do with ability. To be able to accomplish the way of serving the Lord has assigned to us, we must, above all, pay attention to it. We must focus ourselves on our way of serving the Lord and the world around us. The verb tenses that Paul uses are enlightening.
“Archippus, make a long-term commitment to paying attention to your ministry. In fact, I command you to keep your ministry front and center as part of your lifestyle so that your attention to it becomes habitual.”
How’s that for focus? Hyper-focus even?
That means distractions must be ignored. Malaise must be pushed aside. Our will must be reset. Our commitment turned up as high as it can go.
In whatever way Jesus has called us to serve, generally or specifically, we are not to give up, give in, or let our attention level drop. Serving as our ministry is a 24/7/365 entire life assignment. How we serve will change over time due to circumstances and aging. Even in a highly infirm state, some saints have become some of the mightiest prayer warriors ever. Our way of serving will change, but the call to serve never will.
Have you made a lifelong commitment to the Lord? Then, your call to service is also for life. How has the Lord called you to minister? Are you paying attention to it so that when your life transitions to the Lord’s presence, you can look Jesus full in the face and say confidently that you’ve accomplished the ministry He gave you to do?
How do we know how we’re called to serve the Lord and minister to the world? All born-again believers get gifts and directions from the King regarding how they are to serve. Your spiritual gifts, heart (passion), abilities, personality, and experiences (S.H.A.P.E., Warren, The Purpose-Driven Church) reveal how Jesus wants you to get to work. Peter said it well, “Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve others, as good stewards of the varied grace of God.” (1 Peter 4:10).
As for me, after a time of introspection and a Holy Spirit nudge through a seemingly innocuous verse, I’m ready to recalibrate and reorient myself for ministry in the coming year.
May the Lord help us all pay attention to the ministry we have received in the Lord so that we can accomplish it.
Shining the Light of God’s Truth on the Road Ahead
Pastor Jay Christianson
The Truth Barista, Frothy Thoughts