Want to become more effective in your ministry efforts?

Jesus went out to the lake with his disciples, and a large crowd followed him.  Mark 3:7 NLT

How do you become effective in your ministry for Jesus?  There is a little or maybe big principle hidden with this verse.  I have been memorizing sections of Mark for the last six months.  It has been wonderful to catch some “manna” from even a simple verse like this.

To me this was just a connecting verse that gets repeated several times.  Jesus goes into the Synagogue and out to the sea of Galilee at just about every event.  So I use this verse as a marker for the timeline of his ministry and what is about to take place next in the story.  I did not feel much inspiration from this verse.

Then God began talking to me.  How did Jesus grow in his ministry? My answer was his miracles. In fact the next verse says that the news about his miracles had spread far and wide and vast number of people came to see him.  So one principle for growth is the movement of God in your ministry.  Not just busyness, but doing God’s business.  Others will begin talking about how God is moving within your ministry.  Pray for salvations to occur…people love talking about “new babies being born”.  This is also not limited to miracles of healing…although pray often for them to occur.  People will talk about any event that is God inspired, you just need to vocalize ALL the credit to Him.

BUT the main principle is even more primitive than Jesus doing miracles.  As I woke up this morning I felt God ask me, “Why did large crowds follow Jesus?”  I replied to Him, “the miracles”?  “No!  It was because Jesus was following my lead to the next place I wanted Him to be.”  If Jesus had gone to the mountains, the crowd would not have been able to follow...but he went to the lake.  This was exactly where God needed him to be in order for the large crowd's to find him.  God’s provision, your next big event, sermon, service opportunity, participation in church, and even going to work or school every day has the opportunity for impact when you are following His lead. 

Jesus said my sheep hear my voice and they follow me.  He leads them in and out to pasture.  God will bring that which is necessary in your life…as you follow Him.  We are more important than the birds of the air, the flowers in the field and He will take care of us.  Trust that your activities are in agreement with following Him, and he will bring the crowds, provision, wisdom, growth, effectiveness, or whatever is needed or lacking for Him to fulfill that which is pleasing in His sight in your life. 

We should focus on “being” where God wants us next, then let Him bring the crowds.  Trust that He will bring people.  In the story of Ruth, she returned home to Bethlehem, because she heard that there was bread again.  May God allow His “manna” to be at the core of all you do.  There are hungry people looking for the bread of life and many thirsty people looking for the true living water which is Jesus.  Let’s always offer the real thing.