by Elder Peter Lim

Christianity is inherently social in nature. Not only are we to relate to God Himself, but we Christians are to relate to one another in much the same way: with love. This love manifests itself with all the “one anothers” found in the Bible. With the technology that’s available today, more and more interaction can take place without being in physical proximity to one another. Technology allows us to optimize certain aspects of communication through phone calls, email, text messaging, and even Facebook  However, even the most ardent fan of technology will readily admit that it’s a poor substitute for personal interaction in each other’s presence in real life. A sign of a maturing Christian is that he understands the importance of the ministry of presence.

The ministry of presence is a sacrificial act of inconveniencing oneself for the sake of others. Despite all the excuses that one could come up with, one’s presence at various church activities is an opportunity to minister and encourage others. Here are some self-centered excuses I came up with:

• I’m too tired.
• I don’t really want to be with people right now.
• I don’t enjoy that activity. I’d rather do something else.
• I shouldn’t be there if I’m going to have a bad attitude, right?
• I don’t get anything out of it.
• I can have a more profitable time reading/studying/listening to an on-line sermon by myself.

All of these reasons can be true and valid. All of us at some point will be unable to minister to others because we need to deal with our own weaknesses and needs. It’s reasonable that someone may rightfully feel like using some of these excuses but a mature Christian understands that their physical presence at an activity is also an opportunity to help and encourage others as well as themselves. Therefore, they will deliberately choose to inconvenience themselves and sacrifice their own desires in order to be a blessing to others. Because there are such a variety of people with varying degrees of capability, much grace needs to be shown when tempted to criticize someone else for their lack of ability to serve others. Obviously some are weaker than others.

It’s more difficult for:

• Older People – As I am beginning to realize, old age affects the physical body and decreases in both energy level and strength to serve.
• Lonely People – I’ve seldom been lonely in my life but It’s not difficult to see how someone who feels this way can require more care from others than they themselves are able to give. That should never be an excuse however, because the act of sacrificial care for others through the ministry of presence can also help themselves not be so lonely.
• People in the Majority – What I mean by this is that a person who is in the “majority group,” that is someone who feels like they wouldn’t be missed since there are so many people like themselves, may feel like they aren’t needed. A mature “majority group” person would understand that they can always be looking for others to minister to. Or they can almost just enjoy whatever activity people are serving in and appreciate their efforts.
• People in the Minority – A person in a “minority group” may feel like there aren’t other people to identify with. A mature person would magnify the commonality that we share in the gospel of Christ and diminish whatever artificial criteria people use to determine that they are in a minority group. These criteria can include ethnicity, station in life, common interests, and many others.
• Busy People – Busy people always have an excuse not to serve in the ministry of presence. Sometimes this is true but oftentimes they fill their schedule with lesser priority activities. Perhaps it could be a lack of priority for serving others in this way or it could be too high of a priority given to selfish pursuits.
• Poor People – Sometimes activities cost money which is difficult for a poorer person to afford. Hopefully, all church activities would include some provision for those in need. They should swallow their pride and ask for help when needed. They should also double-check their spending habits to make sure that they are being wise stewards of what God has entrusted them with.
• Rich People – Just as the Bible warns that it’s difficult for the rich to enter the kingdom of God, the same caution should be given to rich people in regards to their participation (or lack thereof) in church activities. They should be the first in line to help poorer people to be able to afford participation in church activities and be generous about it. They tend to understand the value of time and they may especially feel the sacrifice of time. However, they need to understand that simply giving money is no substitute for an active involvement in the lives of people.

I hope you all understand that I don’t write these things in order to accuse people. I’m able to write this article because these are the thoughts that I have had in regards to myself and my own weaknesses (except the lonely person one). These thoughts are meant to be for self-evaluation and not for use as ammunition to accuse someone else of not serving in the ministry of presence. It is never a waste for a mature believer to attend some church event because not only do you minister to others during that activity, but you get one step closer to opening another door with someone else who may need ministering to in the future, and who is now a little bit more comfortable approaching you.