Meditation

Read Mark 1:9-20                                                —Mark 16:15 (NIV)

[Jesus] said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”

When I was in high school, I wanted to work in a church. I also got pretty good grades. For one of my classmates who wasn’t a believer, those two things—working in a church and being smart—didn’t go together. I still remember a conversation we had sitting on the bleachers in our school’s gym. “You’re smart. You could do anything. Why would you want to waste all that on a church?”

That conversation was a long time ago, but I still reflect on it often. I did work for a church at the time, but most of my career had been with other nonprofits. Do I feel like I’ve wasted my potential? Of course not. I’ve also come to realize that I could have had any career and still been in ministry.

Jesus calls us to “go into the world and preach.” Ministry isn’t limited to the church; it also happens in our communities. People in all types of careers work for God every day—doctors, bus drivers, restaurant servers, plumbers, teachers and the list goes on. Wherever we are, we can all minister by being open and sharing God’s love with others.

Prayer—Dear Lord, help us to recognize ways to be a witness for you each and every day. Amen.

Thought for the Day—How can I minister to the people in my life today?

Catherine S. Ryan (South Carolina)