“Online Ministry” As a Career?
Posted By Joe on October 7, 2009
To sort of pickup where my last post left off, regarding a line of work that allows me to work from home and be with my family, I ran across a post today over at Church Crunch that talked about a career in online ministry.
The part that really got to me was:
Just imagine: Only a few years ago, if someone told you that you’d be using the internet for the purposes of God and that He would supply your needs financially through it, wouldn’t you have laughed at them?
Maybe I would have laughed at them before I became a Christian, however this short post really gave me a new insight into what one of my desires have been for this blog. Besides the primary reason of speaking the truth of God's Word, it's been a dream to be able to use it as a vehicle to financially support my family.
HT: FD
I mentioned in my last post that I'm not interested (necessarily) in a high-paying job that takes me away from time spent with my family. I see no point in that at all. My primary ministry is to my family and seeing that my sons grow into Godly men.
In Malachi, God explains His hatred of divorce. But in those passages, the subtle reason is that God is looking for "godly offspring." (Malachi 2:14-16). As a side note, I'll address some of this in the next post.
I had my first job interview yesterday after being out of work since mid-July. It went well. I'm sure I have a job if I want it. But there are some serious issues I need to contend with: the pay is substantially lower than my last job, I'll be back working in an office, and I will have to work weekends.
I know: "Hey, stop whining. It's better than unemployment." And I would have to agree; I can't argue that point. But does it make sense to settle for something when God may have bigger plans for me? I'm not trying to sing the prosperity gospel by saying this. I just simply don't believe God wants us to settle for something when He is trying to lead us into something greater that He has planned for us.
Example? Look at Abraham. He was very comfortable and wealthy in Ur of the Chaldeans. He could have simply stayed there and lived up to his name "Abram" which means "exalted father." Instead, God calls him out of Ur and makes him a promise to show him a land and make him a great nation.
"And I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing." --Genesis 12:2.
If God wants to bless me, I'm okay with that. I simply want to be in His will and follow His plan for my life. Sometimes we need to let go of what is in front of us and step out in faith to what God has planned for us.
By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. --Hebrews 11:8 (Emphasis mine.)
Part of me is not sure what God has planned. I feel like I'm in the wilderness right now being tested and tried by God for something he has planned for me.
I like what Greg Laurie recently posted at his blog about storms and preparation:
I pointed out that suffering is inevitable. No one gets a free pass. The fact of the matter is that you are either coming out of a storm or headed into another. It’s just a matter of time.
In this life, the only way to avoid suffering is to die.
What you want to do is get ready now, so you will have a proper biblical foundation and can properly process and react as these challenges come into your life.
And so my storm continues. May God continue to watch over my family and I as we weather it. To God be the glory!
May He Increase!
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[...] made a remark in my last post about "Online Ministry" quoting from Malachi. God hates divorce because God seeks godly offspring from each of us. "But [...]