Giving Our Time-Part Three
Reasons/Excuses
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When a church or ministry puts out a request for volunteers, they hear a variety of reasons why individuals are not able to help. At times people have very legitimate reasons why they are not able to volunteer their time. But many times the reality is that most of us are very selfish and self-centered. Again, it is the attitude of “it’s my money and my time”. In the last nugget we have shown that there is no such thing as “my time”. As Christians, our time belongs to God. So let’s confront the excuses given why people cannot volunteer to help build the kingdom of God.
Don’t have the time
We all have a limited amount of time. In the USA,
many of us are very busy and overwhelmed by responsibilities and obligations.
However, we need to ask the question, “Am I doing what God wants me to do? Am I
doing His will or my will, or the will of others?”
What is interesting is that people will say ‘I don’t have time to minister’, but they have time to watch sports all day on TV. They have time to go to the movies, concerts, football games, parties, workout, go fishing, shop at malls all day, etc.
It is not a matter of a time issue. It is an issue of the heart. There are people who are very busy, with many obligations, but they still are involved in ministry.
My family is more important
Now this sounds very godly. Family should be
before ministry. But here are two questions:
1. Do you actually have quantity and quality time with your family? Or is it just
running the kids all over the place to do their own thing without mom and dad?
Are the kids in band, soccer, cheerleading, choir,
etc. and mom and dad are not involved. Are the kids gone all day at school and
then all night doing things? That is not family time.
2. How about the family doing things together and ministering at times together? How about having a homeless person over for dinner with the family? How about the family going to a Senior Center and singing for them? How about the family going together to the hospital to visit a sick church member? How about the family taking a fatherless boy on their weekend camping trip?
I believe every family can take 2 hours a month to bless someone.
My church does not have
anything for me
This is hard to believe, but say it is true. Who
says that you have to volunteer for your church? Go ahead and volunteer for another
ministry. Give your time with brothers and sisters from other churches. You
might find that God is calling you some place else to make your home church. Or
you may find your prejudices about other Christians disappears
as you minister with them.
I am handicapped or am sick
There are some who are physically handicapped and
are not able to leave their house or it is very hard for them to get around.
This does not stop them from being a prayer warrior for those who are ‘on the front
lines’. Prayer warriors are critical for every ministry. In fact, a ministry will
fail without individuals interceding for it.
Also, please consider the fact that there are paraplegic people who are wholly
devoted to giving their time in ministry. If they can get around to minister, a broken wrist, or a headache should not
prevent us from touching another person’s life.
I am not called to minister
If you are a Christian, you are called to
minister. It is not an option. God did not save your soul, give you spiritual
gifts, and give you the Holy Spirit to be self-centered.
Many Christians expect the clergy to do all ministry. This is unbiblical. The clergy is to equip the saints for ministry, not do all ministry.
Bill Wilson with Metro Ministries
has a great saying, “If you see the need, then you are called”. If you have a
burden for single mothers, then you are probably called to minister to single
mothers. If you have a burden for the elderly who are left all alone in a
nursing home, you are probably called to minister to them.
In the next nugget we will
talk specifically on the excuse of “I am not qualified to minister”.
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