Haggai 1:5 was the theme verse for our first annual ladies retreat for our church. It says- Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. The Lord has been teaching me to consider my ways in every area of life- in my health, my home, and my heart, so it was only fitting. At the retreat, we covered considering your ways in ministry, marriage, and motherhood, and it was fabulous! I was so blessed by the teaching and the testimonies, and I can’t wait until next year.
I had the pleasure of teaching Consider Your Ways in Ministry
Consider Your Ways in Ministry
Ministry is just another word for service. If you are born again, you have an obligation to the Lord to serve Him for His glory. And if you’re not a believer, you need to surrender your life to Jesus, because He gave His life for you! He took the penalty for every single sin you have ever committed or will commit in the future.
In Christ, you have forgiveness of sins, redemption by His blood, and reconciliation to a holy Father in Heaven who loves you more than any human on this planet. (Eph. 1:7, Rom. 5:8, John 3:16) You have to make the decision that He’s better than anyone or anything this world has to offer.
Despite everything that you have done, Jesus loves you, He wants you, and He’s calling you to repent of your sins, turn away from them, and place your faith in Christ alone to save you.
Jesus died and rose again from the grave so that you could be free from the bondage of sin that you’re in today. Salvation is a gift by grace through faith. God is offering it to you today. Are you willing to take it? (Eph. 2:8-9)
If you don’t know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, I pray that you will surrender your life to Christ today.
Misplaced priorities, Me-first mentality, Missing worship
In the book of Haggai, the Lord instructs them to get their priorities straight and get back to rebuilding the temple- the house of the Lord, the place of worship, where His holy presence would dwell.
The Babylonians had destroyed the temple, and after 70 years of being in captivity, some of the Jews came back to Jerusalem. They began rebuilding the temple by laying the foundation, but that was 16 years prior to Haggai’s preaching. Distractions and discouragement led to the discontinuation of the reconstruction of the temple.
For 16 years, they neglected to make worship and working for the Lord a priority. So Haggai says in verse 5 and then again in verse 7- “Consider your ways”…
The children of Israel had misplaced priorities, and a me-first mentality, and were missing worship.
Do any of those issues ring true for you?
Haggai 1:2 KJV ~ Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD’s house should be built.
Excuses, excuses, excuses
- The timing isn’t right.
- I’m not ready for ministry.
- I don’t know enough to be able to teach someone else.
- I’m just a teenager. I’ll serve God when I’m older.
- I have to get my schooling or career established before I can think about serving in the church.
- Once my kids are all grown and I have free time, then I’ll get involved in ministry outside the home.
- I’m just too busy, my schedule’s too packed, and I don’t have time to serve the Lord.
Consider your ways!
Do you have your priorities straight? Examine where you spend your time, your talent, and your treasure. Is it on the Lord or on selfish pursuits?
God demands and deserves to be first place in your life. He’s earned it!
How Are You Building Your Ministry?
If you are saved, the moment you placed your faith in Jesus Christ, the foundation of the temple of the living God was laid in your heart. (1Cor. 3:10-17)
Consider your ways.
How are you building on that foundation? Are you ministering truth to your family, younger women, and the local church? (Titus 2:3-5)
Are you studying your Bible, applying what you read, and sharing it with others?
Have you taken faith steps out of your comfort zone to utilize your spiritual gifts?
Consider your ways in ministry. How are you serving the Lord and building faith, character, love, and wisdom on your foundation of salvation?
Glorify God With Your Ministry
Our sole purpose in life is to glorify God- to bring Him praise and honor and exalt him. (1Cor.6:19-20, Rev. 4:11) Does your life bring glory to God? If not, why not, and what are you going to do about it?
The book of Haggai is convicting and challenging, but it’s comforting and life-changing as well. As we consider our ways in ministry, let’s take an inventory of our choices, and examine our hearts. May the Lord be near, His Spirit moving upon each one of us, and His will be done in our lives.
Haggai 1:7 KJV ~ Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.
More to Help in Your Ministry:
How to Start a Women’s Ministry in 10 Steps- Part 1
10 Qualities of a Good Steward
Encouragement to Endure in Ministry
The Call to Invest: Biblical Discipleship For Women
7 Steps to Restore Your Spiritual Energy When You Get Weary in Well-Doing
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Pray With Confidence
Prayer is an essential element in any ministry. If you would like to grow in your prayer life, then check out Pray with Confidence. It’s a website for helping women overcome prayer obstacles, and I am one of the 30 monthly contributors. Here are a few links I think will be a blessing to you:
3 Short Prayers for Spiritual Stability
2 Things to Remember to Find Peace in Chaos
19 Bible Verses that Reveal the Will of God
15 Bible Verses About Rest When You’re Feeling Overwhelmed
You also want to check out the prayer resources, Bible verses, and challenging questions tabs. There are many great options to boost your spiritual growth!
Wonderful instruction and reminder here. We all need to be reminded/encouraged to examine our walk with God. Thank you for encouraging us to consider our ways!
God is good! He always gives us what we need at just the right time! Thanks for your feedback, I appreciate it! Blessings!
So very convicting! Thank you for sharing this wisdom today!
Praise the Lord, I’m glad it ministered to ya! Thanks for reading and sharing your feedback. Blessings to ya! 🙂
So true!! Our ways are not God’s ways. Evaluating our “ways” and lining them with the word of God is so important in stretching and growing! God wants to do so many powerful things, but we get in the way of that! I’m definitely encouraged to read Haggai! Added to my list! <3 <3
Awesome!! Thanks for reading, I appreciate ya! 🙂
You are so right … we need to examine our hearts and consider our ways. I don’t think I’ve ever sat down and read through the Book of Haggai. I will now though! ❤
Praise the Lord! You’ll be glad you did! Blessings to ya! 🙂
This is a detailed teaching and sorely needed today. What tragedy it will be to serve God and lose our closeness to Him because we lost our way in the process. May God help us to remain focused on Him as we serve Him in Jesus’ name.
Amen to that!