It’s Bigger Than Me

Have you ever heard someone say, “It’s not about me,” when talking about ministry? Maybe you’ve even said it yourself. Let me start by saying this isn’t a critique or an accusation. I’ve used that phrase too, and I believe my heart was sincere at the time, just as yours likely was. My goal here is simply to look at ministry from a different angle, hopefully closer to God’s perspective.

During my second year at Charis Bible College, I was required to complete a foreign mission trip. In the weeks leading up to it, we met regularly for questions, encouragement, and prayer. “It’s not about me” became a familiar refrain, repeated several times at nearly every meeting. The intention was clear: we weren’t going on the trip to gain something for ourselves, but to serve and bless others. There was no ill intent behind it, yet something about the statement always felt incomplete. After spending time in prayer and reflection, the question finally surfaced: how could a mission trip required by a school not be about the students?

Students come to Charis to learn, grow in the Word, and be discipled. Yet when they were sent on a mission trip required for graduation, many viewed it as being solely about the people they would minister to. In reality, the students were being sent to experience ministry firsthand, to step into discomfort, to push through it, and to witness the deep and widespread need for Jesus around the world. Charis could have sent experienced missionaries who might have done the work more efficiently and at a lower cost. Instead, they chose to send students so they could grow.

You might be tempted to think this doesn’t apply to you because you’re not a Bible college student. But the truth is, you’ll be discipled under Jesus for the rest of your life. Everything He calls you to do is for your sake as much as it is for the sake of those you serve. You are not a tool God uses to get a job done. You are His friend, dearly loved. Every plan He unfolds, every place He leads you, every calling He places on your life is an expression of His desire to work in you as well as through you.

Don’t limit God by saying ministry isn’t about you. Instead, magnify Him by remembering that while His purposes are bigger than you, they include you. Ministry flows from God’s desire to spend time with you, create with you, and pour His love into you as He teaches you how to love like Him.