“Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19)

From the very beginning, Jesus indicated to those who would follow Him, that our ministry was to focus on people: “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of MEN.” The word translated “men” here is the Greek word “anthropos”, which does not indicate the male sex only, but is the generic word for “people.”  As we seek to follow Jesus today, we need to make certain that we do not lose that focus:

• Our ministry is not merely “studying the word”, but teaching and discipling the word in PEOPLE.
• Our ministry is not only “serving food”, but ministering to the needs of PEOPLE.
• Our ministry is not just “counseling”, but comforting and giving understanding and direction to PEOPLE.
• Our ministry is not even “the church” — as a building or organization only — it is to and for the PEOPLE who comprise it.

We could easily translate the great verse: “For God so loved PEOPLE that He gave His only begotten Son.” Make sure that your ministry this week is not just about performance or projects, but PEOPLE.  It will make all the difference as you serve.