Set Apart

There are so many specific jobs in this country. There are many specialty fields in the medical community, manufacturing, food service, retail and many more. I have not had a lot of different jobs in my working life. As a kid I worked at Hardees for a summer job. I worked at the Kentucky Department of Education in the testing division one summer as well. It was interesting and quite specific. I remember being thankful to have work as a kid working my way through my under grad college. I went to Bible College to learn how to be a minister/preacher. I had grown up in a church of about 70 people and I wanted to serve in a church like that. The Lord had different plans.

Moses and Aaron are the top two leaders of the Israelite community. They are now instructed to set apart their entire family/tribe to serve the Lord. I look at their being set apart much like an ordination into ministry. Check this out…

13 Make the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons and then present them as a wave offering to the Lord. 14 In this way you are to set the Levites apart from the other Israelites, and the Levites will be mine. (Numbers 8:13-14 NIV)

I remember my ordination service and the role that my home church played in that service. It was in its simplest form a “setting apart” Dwayne Hicks for ministry. I wasn’t responsible for doing the work of a priest, but I was set apart for ministry to which I felt called. I thought I was going to be a “preacher”, but the Lord led me into student ministry and I was at home. My first ministry was a “preaching opportunity” and I started connecting with the youth group. I look back on those early years of ministry and often wish I knew then what I know now. I was focused on “doing” ministry instead of “being” before the Lord. Today, I understand that before I do anything, the Lord needs to be out front and in the lead.

As a follower of Jesus, I think we are all “set apart” to serve Him. Jesus challenged us to be “in the world not of the world”. That is a tough balancing act in some cases. I want Him to cultivate my heart and keep me set apart to serve on His behalf. I don’t see the lease conflict in my work as a REALTOR/Broker because I see these as a serving profession. I believe that the Lord should be honored and His values woven through-out my work.

Today I’m reminded that the Lord has me set-apart as His kid to be about Kingdom work on His behalf.

Pressing On!

Dwayne