“I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

John 13:34-35 CSB

I’ve been in and around the church world for most of my life, and I always think about how easy it is to think of ministry as something just for a select few, and that the field in which to do ministry always must be drastic or extreme. But what if that just simply isn’t true? What would you do if I told you that mindset just simply isn’t Biblical at all?

We are all called to follow Jesus and be His disciples, which means that we are called to be a light in the world, there is no special requirement or criteria to do that.

The thing that’s even more beautiful about this? Your greatest ministry opportunity is all around you. Your ministry field is your neighborhood, office, classroom, and your own home.

It’s not complicated, it’s about being present to the people all around you and pointing them to Christ by the way you love well.

I’ve written about this before, but some of my best moments where I was able to enter into a spiritual conversation, came from simply being a person that others saw as being joyful and trustworthy. I made the decision to not be like so many judgmental believers that I’ve interacted with over the years, because I saw how they treated others and how those they treated were hurt because of it. I’ve even seen it happen in church settings, where I was judged for not doing enough or acting a certain way, and it always saddens me, because I know the people in their life are not experiencing the love of Christ that we have been called to spread.

If your treatment of others actions is more present than your love for them, you are missing the call of a disciple.

Jesus said that the world will know we are a disciple of Him by how we love others, so when you decide that not everyone is worthy of your love, you are not a disciple. This is an important concept to understand and evaluate, it’s one that I often look inward at, how you treat others reflects Christ. If that reflection is inaccurate, you give an inaccurate and false reflection of Christ.

I never enjoy when believers want to discuss theology or talk about deep points, because at the end of the day, those are conversations with no true answer and it takes over the number one priority which is to love God and love His people. You may know all of these deep topics and every aspect of a certain dead theologian’s ideas, but if you’re cruel to the person that God has put in front of you to love, it is meaningless.

Let your legacy be one of loving others more than your knowledge without action.

The people in your life need you, so start loving your ministry now.

You have an opportunity in front of you, you can grab hold of it now and begin loving the people in your life right now. All too often we ask God to use us, when He is ready to help you be a light to the people you see every day. Your partner, kids, neighbors, coworkers, anyone that you see consistently is your field of ministry. So, what is holding you back? Maybe you never realized that God doesn’t need to call you to go overseas, maybe He is calling you across the street.

Your people need you.

They need the authentic you, too. Not just a person to throw Bible verses at them, but one who will live out God’s truth and love them well. Don’t sit and wait for a ministry, when the ministry is all around you.

I see events unfold every day, where people are continually driven against one another, and frequently, following Jesus is being used as a political device rather than a discipleship path. It angers me that one person can claim to follow Christ, yet assault others, spew hatred, or completely live opposite to the words of Jesus and others believe that’s okay. It isn’t.

As a follower of Christ, you are called to Love God with everything and love His people well.

There is no room to argue why some should be loved and others shouldn’t. That’s why it is so vital to be a light in the world, and see that your greatest ministry opportunity is all around you.

The people in your life need you to be like Christ.

Let your life be an accurate representation of Jesus, and when you mess up, apologize and restore what might have been broken.

Don’t over complicate it, don’t let others drive you to division or away from loving others, simply love others the way Jesus loves you. When you do that, they will see Jesus through you.

-Your pastor and friend, Joshua.

---

About the Author: Joshua Thomas is a husband, father, and pastor doing what he can to love others the way Jesus did. You can find him reading a good book, sipping warm tea, taking pictures, or dreaming. He may not have it all figured out, but the journey is the best part. You can find him on the social media he uses Tik Tok, Bluesky and Instagram