There are so many things that I enjoy about ministry: baby dedications, weddings, water baptisms, people responding to the message, new believers, counseling, praying and believing with someone for a miracle, children and youth praising God, seeing community after a service, engaging people in conversation at my favorite coffee place and the number 1... praying with someone to receive Jesus for the first time. There is nothing better than being in a position to talk about Jesus and His love for all. I hunger for those opportunities.

There are also some things that bother me about ministry as well, and though the list isn't long I find that I dwell on them more than I probably should. Some of them are... pretenders, apathetic Christians, gossipers, antagonists, and people who use Jesus as an add on.

Jesus is so much more than just another accessory that we add to our lives! He is more than just another application we install. He is the King of creation, the One who Was and Is and Is to come! He's our Savior, Deliverer, and Friend who will never abandon us. He needs and wants to be the main operating system of our lives!

Far too often I see people use God like an application.

I need help on this test I didn't study for... click Jesus app.

My life is falling apart... click prayer app.

My friend is in the hospital in critical condition... click call the pastor app.

It's not that any of those things are wrong, but, too often these people don't acknowledge Jesus at any other time in their lives - not even when God in His Grace answers them and does the miraculous.

God desires to be included and involved in every aspect of our lives! The good, ordinary, and exciting parts of our week as well as the tough and painful parts. He gave us His Son so that we could be in constant relationship with Him. Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit as a guide, a counselor, encourager, and comforter. He isn't an application we install and click when we need Him! He becomes the Operating System we install to help us fulfill the purpose and plan He's created us for. (Ps. 139)

Take a moment right now and ask the Spirit of the Living God to be a part of every aspect of your life and not just an application you use when you need help.