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What if the only requirement was loving Jesus?

As some of us have discovered via google searches, the internet is flooded with articles & blogs with lists & ways to set expectations for serving in different areas of church ministry. They list skills and character traits that are important to possess & are (sometimes) critical to that area of ministry. One article I saw actually listed “spiritual maturity” as one of the requirements- stating new &/or immature Christians couldn’t serve. *smacks hand to forehead* 

But, what if the only requirement was loving Jesus? Seeking Him? Being willing to have quick (or deep) discussions about how your heart is & being authentic about it all? Isn’t that how we grow spiritually? By walking alongside others who have had different experiences, who are currently walking in relationship with Christ & loving Him with their whole self? If spiritual maturity is a requirement to serve, then none of us should be serving because we won’t reach that till we get to Heaven. Just sayin... 

Punctuality is often another expectation. I don’t know about you, but once I had children, being right-on-time went out the window. One time I was actually 20 minutes late because I had to turn around half-way to the church once I realized I had one of the car seats my husband would need. Things happen. 

But who cares? The real question is whether or not my heart was in a posture to be led by the Spirit during worship once I did arrive. Whether it’s the worship, children’s, welcome, or coffee ministry, our heart’s posture & our relationship with the Lord has to be the number one, most important, expectation of all. 

Here’s the thing: volunteers are not just work horses. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul addresses the topic of spiritual gifts & the church being one body. He writes about different individuals being given different spiritual gifts. No one is the same (we literally are like snowflakes y’all  😂). He goes on about how the church is ONE body with MANY members, all unified through Christ. 

So, what happens when we ask the routine faith based questions, go through the background checks, auditions, spiritual gifts tests (etc...etc...), then get our new volunteer signed up & on the schedule? Do we even think about their relationship with Christ anymore? How their heart and soul are doing? Are they grieving a loss? Walking through trauma? Embarking on a new, exciting season within their family? 

These are questions that don’t get asked often enough of our volunteers. Yes, life is crazy. No, none of us has “time.” Blah blah blah... those are just excuses we use to avoid real heart conversations with others in our communities. We are instructed in the Bible to build one another up, bear each other’s burdens, pray & love one another, but we do a pretty terrible job of that after we get someone “committed.” 

This isn’t  just the responsibility for the ministry leaders either. Why aren’t volunteers coming alongside one another to invest in each other’s lives outside of the ministry? 

Yes, there are small groups & other friends & communities. And you have to be willing to put forth some effort. I know... don’t get all upset. Just listen a minute. 

If loving Jesus is the only requirement, our ministries may actually be overflowing with volunteers, not begging for them. If loving Jesus was the only expectation, we may actually have churches overflowing with new believers as they figure out there past doesn’t define them & we are here to walk with them; broken and sinful, learning more about God everyday ourselves! 

The expectations/requirements, the background checks, they all have their place to some extent, but they can quickly steal the joy out of serving. When volunteering becomes a job with rules and regulations, no breaks because there aren’t enough people to develop a rotation, we get legalistic, particular, and forget about why we chose to serve in the first place. 

Jesus. 

Once again, it’s always about Jesus. 

So, what’s your heart look like? Are you serving because God called you to it? Or are you serving out of guilt & desperation? God doesn’t care how musically talented you are, how gifted you are at teaching children or making people smile at the door. He cares about your heart and relationship with Him. Nothing else matters. 

The only requirement (really) is loving & seeking the One, True, Holy God. 

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