As a lifelong educator, I learned to be very protective of my time. Juggling work and family often required more hours in the week than were available. I shied away from anything extra regardless of how important it may have been. I simply didn’t feel I had the mental, physical, or emotional capacity to add anything to my plate. I feel pretty confident that some of my decisions were the right ones. However, as I grow in my faith, God is redefining my understanding of what it means to serve Him and the body of Christ.
Most Christian educators believe they were called to serve through their vocation – teaching. What better way to show the love of Christ than to invest in the lives of children? As a former teacher, administrator, and staff developer, I knew God had purposely placed me in my positions to serve Him. If you, like me, always wanted to be an educator, never doubt this was God’s plan for you all along! Your passion and talents to serve in education are most certainly gifts from God.
While being an educator is a perfect vocation in which to serve, our service shouldn’t be confined to our workplaces. I know, I know – time! There are only so many hours in the day, but the gifts and talents we’ve been given are also meant for building up the body – the universal body of Christ and the local church body. On the surface, the body of Christ and the local church may seem like the same thing. While there is overlap, I believe the Bible distinguishes between the two.
In 1 Corinthians 12:12-14 Paul used the metaphor of the human body to explain the body of Christ. He explained all who choose to believe in Jesus are baptized into one body by one Spirit, and all share the same Spirit. Even though the body has many parts, there is still ONE body – the body of Christ. Some call this the universal church.
Hebrews 10: 25 emphasizes the importance of meeting together to encourage and motivate one another. This refers to the local church which is a group of professing believers in Jesus Christ who meet in some particular location on a regular basis. We know how important the local church is since most of the New Testament is written directly to local churches.
I realize the thought of “doing more” can feel a bit overwhelming, but I’m here to tell you from personal experience that when we use our gifts to serve others outside our workplaces, something supernatural happens. Somehow, in some way, God redeems the time and multiplies our gifts for His glory. Let me give you a couple of examples.
Two years ago, I sensed God prodding me to become more active in my local church. I agreed to facilitate a Bible study for senior adult women. Guess what? No one showed up at our first meeting! They ended up putting two classes together, and my service was no longer needed. I must admit I was a little confused. I thought this was how I was supposed to serve, but I trusted God must have different plans.
At that point I didn’t look for other ways to serve. To be honest, I kind of forgot about it, but God did not. Two weeks later I received a phone call from our Director of Family Ministries asking if I would be willing to be a mentor mom in our ministry for young moms. I didn’t know anything about the ministry, but when she asked me to pray about it, I said it wasn’t necessary. My answer was “yes.” Needless to say, she was a bit shocked. However, I knew God had opened a door where I was needed, and I didn’t take it lightly. This ministry was where He wanted me to serve. Fast forward two years and I am now the administrator of this ministry, working side-by-side with the church staff. While I have to admit it was a little rocky at first, God has not only used my gifts for His glory but is changing my heart in the process (1 Peter 4:10-11).
When it comes to the universal church, the body of Christ, Victorious Educator Ministries (VEM) has been God’s calling on my life to encourage, support, and equip Christian educators. To say I have felt ill-equipped in many ways would be an understatement. However, what Peter said in the verse referenced above is so true! When we serve with all our strength and energy, God supplies, and what we do brings glory to Him through Jesus Christ.
When I started VEM six years ago, I felt God was leading us to become a non-profit organization. I had no idea what that meant or how to do it, but in 2022 VEM was registered as an official non-profit entity in the state of Texas. I used my gift of leadership, and God supplied guidance, finances, and legal support.
Another directive I felt was to develop a website and begin writing blogs. While both of these were way outside my wheelhouse, I used my gift of administration and teaching to the best of my ability. Over the years, God has supplied everything else – people to help with website design, ideas and content for blogs, committed board members, and so much more. Fast forward to today and we will be sending our first book to a publisher this month! We can’t wait to share it with you.
I tell you all this not to boast in myself but in the Lord (Jeremiah 9:23-24). I want to remind you that you have been given gifts to use not only in your workplace but also to serve in your local church and the body of Christ as a whole. Such blessing awaits those who serve! Trust me, I know! As you consider your call to serve, these questions might be worth pondering.
What do I love doing?
What special skills or talents do I have?
How can my past experiences/jobs help someone else?
What are my spiritual gifts? Consider checking out the lists in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, 1 Corinthians 12:28, and Romans 12:6-8. There are also numerous spiritual gift inventories you can take online.
The next step is to pray and ask God to show you where you are needed – service in the local church, the universal body of Christ, or both!
If you need an open door, I want to provide one for you right here! This next week VEM is going to launch a volunteer drive. We will be posting a link to a volunteer survey as we seek to be obedient in God’s call to grow this ministry! We are in need of those who are willing to create content for social media, write blogs, help with fundraising, support tech needs, develop resources, and assist with website management. In addition, we are open to expanding to other areas of ministry in which you may be called to serve. We don’t want to put any limits on what God wants to do through VEM! Please consider joining us if God so leads. Here is a link to the volunteer document: https://forms.gle/8dEcd7X6DWhts8GZ6.
Serving others is ultimately serving God. We all experience different seasons in our lives when we have more time available to serve outside of our workplaces. When my girls were young, my ability to serve was minimal, but God still provided opportunities for me to use my gifts. Once retired, I feel like the floodgates have opened, resulting in a need to listen intently to the Holy Spirit’s leading. I don’t think God keeps score on how much we serve. He is more interested in our heart’s desire to steward the gifts we have been given and the motives behind our service.
God has given us so much through His son, Jesus. Not only are we free from the power of sin in our lives, loved unconditionally, and forgiven, but we also get to spend eternity with Him in Heaven! What a privilege it is to show the world the difference Jesus can make when we serve beyond the classroom.
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