I Peter 1:22-23 NKJV

Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever.

Attitudes are formed in the mind, and they are powerful because they create perceptions that become one’s reality. This is why the word of God is important because when we read it, it helps us gain the right perspectives and mindsets. To be effective ministers and servants of God, we must have the correct attitudes toward God and ourselves. Equally significant, we must have the proper attitude toward those we minister to. Someone with a proud attitude will not be effective in ministry because they will see themselves as better than others and, to that effect, they will look to others to serve them because they think they are better.

We must love and accept others despite their race, tribe, or even social status. When we begin to divide people along those lines, then we lose our credibility as sons and servants of God because he has called us to love all people because Jesus died for all.

The Bible tells us to consider others as better than ourselves, and we are also urged not to look out only for ourselves, but also look out for the interest of others. That calls for humility, compassion, and love.

Another essential thing is to appreciate others. We are all part of the body of Christ and he is the head. We must recognize and appreciate that the Holy Spirit has gifted us differently for the sole purpose of ministering to the body. No gift is superior to another, and no one did anything to deserve the gift they have been given. When we learn to appreciate and honour others and the gift they carry, then the body of Christ becomes stronger and works better.

All in all, we must learn to be submissive to God and his word. We must be willing to walk in obedience to his leading, like Peter in the book of Acts 10. He saw the vision of a great sheet coming down from heaven with all sought of “Unclean animals” that he was asked to kill and eat. He changed his attitude towards the gentiles and went on to minister to Cornelius.

Reflections

• What kind of people do you struggle to love and accept?
• Between the well-off and the poor, who do you struggle to interact with, Why?
• In what area do you need God’s help when it comes to ministering to others?