1 Timothy 4:6
“If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.”
Every Christian is to be a minister of Jesus Christ. You may not be called to be a preacher of the Gospel, but you are called to represent Jesus Christ everywhere you go. God says in 1 Corinthians 4:9, “…for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.” No matter where you go, you represent Christ. In the verse above, God says that He expects us to “be a good minister.” What are the requirement of a “good minister?”
First, you must live a sanctified life. The word “minister” means that you are a representative of someone other than yourself. The verse above makes it clear that you are a representative of Christ. This means you must separate yourself from anything that could cause you not to represent Him in the manner He desires. For instance, a minister is literally a diplomatic agent of a superior. The minister doesn’t dictate what they want to do, but they represent what their superior wants them to do. If you are going to be a good minister, you are going to have to separate from anything that could mar the name of Christ.
Second, a good minister walks with God. The verse above says that the good minister is “nourished up in the words of faith.” The only way you will get the nourishment you need to be the minister Christ wants you to be is to read His Word and do what it tells you to do. You will never be a good minister of Christ if you don’t stay in communication with Him. The only way you communicate with Christ is by reading the Word of God and praying. Every day you must get your orders from Him so that you know how to represent Him throughout your day. Don’t let a day go by that you fail to get your orders from God through His Word or prayer.
Third, a good minister knows what he believes. The verse above says, “…nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine…” You will fail to represent Christ in a good manner if you don’t know what you believe. Christian, it is not good enough for you to rely on what your pastor knows; you need to know what you believe. Certainly, you may rely on your pastor’s beliefs for a short time, but there must come a time when you know what you believe according to the Word of God. If you say that you do something because your pastor tells you to do it and not because God’s Word commands you to do it, you are failing to be a good minister. Let me challenge you for your representation sake to learn what you believe.
Fourth, a good minister stands for right. Verse 7 says, “But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.” When you know what you believe, you will find it easier to stand for it; however, to know what you believe and not stand for it is compromise. Friend, you need to have the backbone to stand for truth, even when it is uncomfortable.
Let me ask you, are you a good minister of Jesus Christ? If you fail in any of these requirements to be a good minister, you need to change that area in your life. Don’t ever allow yourself to fail to be a good minister of Jesus Christ.