The Menial in Ministry

In Numbers chapter 3 verse 6, the Lord gives a command to Moses regarding the tribe of Levi. He tells him, "Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him." It's obvious in Scripture that the Levitical priesthood is a figurative example of New Testament ministry (the Old Testament is in the New Testament revealed). So as I read over this verse this evening, I felt prompted to dig into the Hebrew meaning behind the words "that they may minister unto him" used here. My reasoning behind this is my desire to have a proper understanding of what "ministry" really means. Exactly what did God expect of the tribe of Levi? In what way were they to minister unto Aaron and his sons - the priests?

The Hebrew word used for "minister" in this verse is "sharath" (shaw-rath') and it means to "attend as a menial or worshipper; to contribute to; to serve". I had a good idea of what "menial" meant, but just to be sure, I looked it up in Merriam-Webster's online dictionary, and I found that it means, "Of or relating to servants; lowly; humble; servile; lacking interest or dignity". Hmmmm. What a shocker this definition of ministry would be to so many today. It seems that the days of grabbing the mop bucket to clean the church floors, or showing up early on Saturday for a church workday, or staying late and cleaning up after a church function, are beginning to wain. The concept of ministry in the 21st century is more associated with glamor, blessings, nice suits, fancy sermons, popularity, and personal comfort. Of course, we still want the power and anointing of God operating in our lives. We want the demonstration of his Spirit when we preach. We want to lay hands on the sick and see miraculous recovery. We want to prophesy under the Hand of the Lord and see it come to pass. But have we forgotten that this level of ministry comes with a heavy price tag? Do we want to know what that price is and do we want to consider whether or not we are willing to pay it?

Let's face it. There are many aspects to ministry that are simply "menial", to borrow from the Hebrew writer's word. When God commissioned the Levites to do a work for Israel, His motivation was not to exalt a man or fill his life with luxury, but rather to accomplish His Will in His people through this new vehicle of ministry. I know that we are not living in the Old Testament now, but I believe that the principles of God, revealed to us in the Old Testament, have not changed. Therefore, when we pray for God to use us today, many times that's exactly how we will feel when He is done - used. But that sacrifice, and that work, regardless of how menial it may seem in the eyes of men, is our privilege to do.

Let us not be so shallow that we can only get excited about an opportunity to preach, lead something, or assume a position in the church. God give us a revival of willingness to do the jobs that no one else wants to do, and do them when no one else is looking. I believe if we are willing to embrace the menial, and get our suit a little dirty as we "minister" in the 21st century, the anointing of God will be poured upon our ministries in abundant proportion. I think I read somewhere that "He that would be chief among all is servant of all." There is no getting away from this priniciple. There is no ministry, no power, no anointing, and no prophetic operation without first a willingness to humbly operate in the lowest of postures, and bless the Kingdom of God strictly because we love it and we are called to do so. Yes brethren, we need to reach for the highest heights, but we do so by stooping to the lowest of lows. God, use me in the menial.

Hungry to serve Him,


Paul Nolan

Iron Sharpens Iron

Today I was privileged to spend about 8 hours with some men of God that I quickly learned to esteem very highly. In our fast-paced society, these times of getting to be with brethren of like precious faith are a rare commodity, and I have learned to truly treasure them. Since I was the youngest man in the room, I did not speak much (after all, God did give us "two" ears and only "one" mouth), but rather sat and listened to the stories, thoughts, ideas, and wisdom that poured forth from these other men. It was an humbling experience that spoke much to my heart. At the end of the meeting, I packed up my things and walked out of the room with the following thoughts on my heart.

1. None of us are in this alone. We all face pain, disappointment, heartache, and frustration. Much of it is just life, but God, in His wisdom, uses every one of these situations to perfect His plan in us and develop us into the men He wants us to be. I got a fresh glimpse of the fact that preachers are just men. They bleed when you cut them. They hurt when you betray them. Their light bill comes due at the same time everyone else's does. I remember a time when I thought preachers were 10 foot tall and bullet proof. I've grown since then and realized they are just men, and regardless of how invincible they may seem, they have their own real battles to fight, and sometimes the outcomes of those battles are not attractive at all.

2. I have no reason to complain - EVER. Regardless of how bad I think I may have it at times or how unfair I feel life may be in certain seasons of my life, I have yet to experience some of the heartbreak that was shared with me today. I have no reason to despair. I have every reason to lift up my hands to a gracious God and thank Him for the benefits he daily loads me with.

3. Iron sharpens iron. Proverbs 27:17 makes this powerful statement, and I experienced it today in a powerful way. After spending time with these great men, I felt challenged, encouraged, and stretched to become more than I've ever dreamed of becoming. As I listened to them speak, I was able to catch glimpses of deeper places in God to reach for and greater things in the Kingdom to pursue. I felt growth ignite in my soul today and I realized it's been way too long since I have experienced that feeling.

4. I am a very small part of a very big thing. In I Corinthians 12, the Apostle Paul uses the analogy of a human body to describe the function and inter-operation of the church. It was powerful to watch the various talents and gifts of these men come into play today in our meeting. There was diversity in the abilities and strengths in the room, but their was unity in the purpose and desire present - to see the Kingdom of God grow! I realized afresh today how important it was to regularly fellowship and spend time with other brethren that share my calling. It keeps you humble because you realize how much you need those around you. It challenges you to grow, because you realize that every man is, in some way, your superior and in that you can learn from him. To isolate myself would be foolish and would spell certain destruction for both my ministry and my walk with God.

I will close my comments with this (since it is getting late) the younger generation of ministers that are stepping up to the plate need the type of exposure that I had today. If for nothing more than to communicate to them that the true concept of ministry is not fancy sermons, nice suits, and unlimited power to heal the sick and prophecy blessings into people's lives. Real ministry, Christ-centered ministry, will not come without a high price tag, and only those that are truly in love with the Master and with His sheep will be willing to pay it.


Desiring to be sharpened,

Paul Nolan

Small Beginnings

Zechariah 4:10 begins by saying, "For who hath despised the day of small things?" I believe that, through this verse, the Lord is saying to us that any beginning, even a small one, is a powerful thing. Since God's ways are so much higher than our ways He does not judge things according to human logic. God declares the ending from the beginning, so He already sees the complete potential of every human effort. It is with this understanding that I pray that the Lord will bless this small beginning as I reach for one of the many dreams that He has put in my heart.

It is my prayer that this blog will be one of the bricks in the house that God has called me to build. For many years, I have felt a burden for other ministers that are called to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is my whole-hearted desire to be a blessing to these precious men as they reach to fulfill their calling. In the day that we live in, it is essential that God-called men learn to lock arms with one another and stand together as "iron sharpens iron" and as they do the Will of God in the earth.

The Apostle Paul, in referring to the call to preach, asked the question, "Who is sufficient for these things?" (II Cor. 2:16). Paul realized that without the help of God Almighty, no man could ever successfully fulfill his God-given calling. No man is sufficient. No man is able. However, God does not call the equipped - He equips the called. It is my firm belief that God will enable us to reach the goals He sets before us. He does not put a burning passion within us to simply frustrate us or play with our emotions. He places that passion within us desiring that it becomes a fuel that drives us forward regardless of the opposition that we may face.

No brethren, we are not sufficient to meet the demands of the calling; but the good news is that we do not have to be. If we were completely sufficient, there would be no need for the element of God's power operating in our ministry. As we look at the mountain before us that we must climb, and we realize our own finite resources, we are driven to our knees to cry out for divine assistance, which God stands ready to give. It is this mixture, the desperation of an anointed heart and the eager willingness of a gentle and awesome God to lend us His power, that will result in the end-time explosion of apostolic revival that God would see fulfilled in each of our ministries.

Embrace the vision. Endure the process. Accept the breaking. Fulfill the calling. Realize the dream!

In the love of Christ,

Paul Nolan