Your field in ministry
Each person is uniquely gifted with a social network. These networks, which are spread all over the various hills and valleys of your life, are portions of land that God has given to you as your “field”. As farmers sowing seed for the Kingdom, (“brother!”), our fields become our place for direct and indirect mission. In 2 Corinthians 10:13, Paul makes mention of this “field” (Greek = metron); “We, however, will not boast beyond measure (metron), but within the limits of the sphere (metron) which God has appointed us – a sphere (metron) which especially includes you.”
Every major relationship in you life is a part of your field. Paul obviously had a large, extended field that wrapped around the middle part of the globe, connections between Christians ran from Jerusalem to Rome and beyond. But even his field had limits. As a farmer, it is dangerous not to respect the boundaries of your field. What would happen if you started harvesting the crops of someone else’s field? Take that to our own lives; trespassing on each other’s fields results in the staggering divorce rate we see in America – many times someone has stepped over his field into someone else’s. Similarly, parents have certain responsibility over their children; police have certain authority over their “beat” – an authority that should not be tested even by other police!
Paul saw the limitations on his field (Gal.2:7-10). He had been called to preach to the Gentiles. Peter however was sent to work with the Jews. As tensions increased between the two groups, their ministries began to cross paths, and fights were breaking out between the two groups. Eventually, some of the elders of the Jerusalem church (James, Peter and John) “acknowledged the grace that had been given” to Paul. They eventually sent him off to preach to the nations.
I got two things from this text:
1. Sometimes when ministries begin to clash, it is the Lord’s working. This may mean that the Gospel message is about to spread into new places! It is not bad to say farewell to fellow ministers for sake of God’s Kingdom. If both parties are called to sow the Gospel seed, but frustrations are building, it may be time to plant seed elsewhere on your field.
2. Our field is a portion of our “grace” given to us by God! Eph. 4:7 says, “But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ has apportioned (metron) it.” Each and every person whom grace has been extended, is also receiving a field for mission in God’s work. We don’t know how big our field is, until we step out in faith. “To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.”
What kinds of soil has God graced you to work with? What types of nutrients are needed to develop the seed of God’s Word? Who are your farming neighbors, and what is your relationship with them like?
Last 5 posts by Mark
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