All of us have values. Whether good or bad, Godly or ungodly, all of us humans have a certain code or creed we live by. Atheists, for example, value skepticism and disbelief in a God that exists. Similarly, nihilists value the nothingness and emptiness of life. Mormons value community and service, and Buddhists value harmony or unity. Regardless, all people in all places have at least one value in their lives. It could be something as simple as friendship and love, or as complex as evolution or Darwinism. Just like all people carry values with them into their everyday life, so do Christians carry values with them in their ministry life. As a ministry partner at my church, I recognize that, although Christians can come from different places, we carry almost identical values. Love. Hope. Forgiveness. Truth. But, as we get deeper into ministry, there begin to emerge more deeper, Biblical values. I would like to list three of these Christian values by sharing ones which have deeply impacted and shaped my ministry: unconditional love, faith, and Godly wisdom.

The first Biblical value that has shaped my ministry is love, specifically unconditional love. In today's culture, the concept of unconditional love is almost unfathomable. Usually, love works in a transactional, conditional pattern: you get something from me if I get something from you. If I don't get something from you or you don't get something from me, then this relationship is over. But in God's Kingdom, that is not how love works. Yes, God wants to have a two-way relationship with His creation, but His love is not dependent on there being something He gets in return. God loves His creation regardless of whether they love Him. This is best modeled through Jesus and His ministry. Jesus showed unconditional love to His disciples and to His people while on this earth. Jesus showed this kind of love to everyone, especially through His sacrifice on the Cross. In fact, that is why Jesus came. In His nightly conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus states this simple but powerful truth:

"'For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him'" (John 3:16-17, WEB).

The word "loved" in verse 16 is translated from the Greek word agapaō, which means to to be fond of or to love dearly (G25). Yet it is through this verse that we can know Jesus' powerful love, because agapaō is actually the highest form of love. There's love and then there's agapaō/agapē love, which proves itself to be a relentless, passionate, and dear love. I feel empowered and inspired by Jesus' unconditional love for people just by seeing it in Scripture alone. Whenever I serve in ministry, I am constantly reminded of God's unconditional, agapaō love through Jesus alone.

The second Biblical value that has shaped my ministry is faith. In Scripture, faith is seen to be associated with courageous or supernatural actions (cf. Hebrews 11). It took the faith of Moses to part the Red/Reed Sea (cf. Exodus 14:21; Hebrews 11:29). It took the faith of Joshua to be able to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land (cf. Joshua 1:9). It took the faith of Rahab to hide the two Israelite spies from Jericho's forces (cf. Joshua 2; Hebrews 11:31). It took the faith of Daniel to be rescued from the den of lions (cf. Daniel 6:22-23; Hebrews 11:33). It took the faith of Esther to prevent a genocide of her people (cf. Esther 4:16). There are countless examples in Scripture where faith in God leads to extraordinary feats or supernatural circumstances. The author of Hebrews best defines faith as this: "Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, proof of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1, WEB). Faith does not stem from seeing; it stems from believing. Faith is so central to Christianity because it recognizes that what we cannot do, only God can do. God can heal, restore, lift, move, protect, and provide if we have faith He can. In my ministry experience, I find that when I walk in faith, God moves. Whether it be hearing ears or Spirit-filled lips sharing the Gospel, I find that faith in God results in the Gospel going out.

The final Biblical value that has shaped my ministry is wisdom, specifically Godly wisdom. Wisdom is essential in navigating life, especially in the Christian journey. In today's culture, it is easy to become distracted by hot-button, cultural issues. Whether it be politics or other issues, the culture around us has the ability to distract us from our journey with Christ. Yet, it is through wisdom that we can avoid becoming distracted from Jesus. Wisdom is discernment, as in knowing whether or not to do something. Wisdom can also be an understanding of how the world works and, especially Godly wisdom, knowing more about God's involvement with the world. It is as Solomon says this in the Proverbs:

"Get wisdom. Get understanding. Don’t forget, and don’t deviate from the words of my mouth. Don’t forsake her, and she will preserve you. Love her, and she will keep you. Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding. Esteem her, and she will exalt you. She will bring you to honor when you embrace her. She will give to your head a garland of grace. She will deliver a crown of splendor to you" (Proverbs 4:5-9, WEB).

Through personification, Solomon demonstrates the importance of gaining wisdom through asking God. Similarly, James writes: "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him" (James 1:5, WEB). Both Solomon and James tell their respective audience to get wisdom, which is so crucial in navigating life as a Christian. Wisdom helps us avoid foolish arguments or propels us to pursue God. In my ministry experience, I find that wisdom helps me to know what to do or not to do in ministry.

To conclude, the values which a Christian should most value are unconditional love, faith, and wisdom. Unconditional love is loving others without conditions or expectations involved. Just like Jesus loved and loves unconditionally, so should we emulate that to all people. Not everyone will come to Jesus, but all people deserve to at least hear of Jesus' love and mercy poured out on mankind through the Cross. As ambassadors of Christ, we must be able to take this value into ministry. Faith is the ability to trust in God regardless of what happens. Faith is key in ministry, as it allows for God to show His power and might. Finally, wisdom is the ability to understand or discern. It is through these values that a Christian is able to successfully evangelize and share the Gospel.

References:

G25 - agapaō - Strong's Greek Lexicon (kjv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g25/kjv/tr/0-1/