By Laura Springer with Jeff Barnhart
Key Passages: Exodus 28; Luke 10:11
Key Idea: Praising and praying together as God's priests requires aligning ourselves with Scripture and sharpening our Spirit-supplied abilities to glorify him better in and as his church.
We have received from God more blessings than we could ever imagine, yet sometimes, our worship response is a bit flat. Our beliefs may line up perfectly with Scripture. Our practices may show the world what Jesus is like. Proper beliefs and practices are necessary but insufficient, for we are commanded to be a people overflowing with love for God and one another. Our lives ought to be filled with uncontainable gratitude, but something holds us back. God has given us all we need to be priests who shine with his glory, yet sometimes, our light is under a bushel.
Christians serve God as priests whenever we use our abilities to bring him glory. Whether setting up tables together or sitting with a brother or sister in distress, we act as God's priests by bringing his love to others. We act as his priests when we lean in with compassion rather than standing back with critique. We act as his priests when we give ourselves to others generously rather than holding back to keep ourselves safe.
The priestly activities of praise and prayer are essential elements of every Spirit-supplied ability. Serving as priests is hard, for we are messy people who serve messy people. We can only carry out God's command to serve by praising him always and remaining in constant prayer. As we pray and praise together, we help one another love Jesus and bear with one another even when that is hard. Infusing everything with praise keeps our hearts on God rather than on our messy selves. It fills life with gratitude even when gratitude is hard. Soaking everything with prayer reminds us that we cannot serve without the Spirit, who is here among us.
Training our perspectives to align with Scripture develops us as praising and praying priests. Priestly ministry is from God and for God. Since our view of things is always skewed, we must let his Word determine the right goals and proper means for our priestly work. His Word measures correct belief, so we must study and rely upon Scripture. His view of reality is accurate, so we must submit our filters and lenses to him for correction. Maturing our understanding of Scripture and calibrating our discernment occurs as we minister together as a community of priests. As we learn the Word and speak the truth to one another, we come to know God and his priorities more accurately, allowing us to align ministry to his will rather than our preferences. But aligning with Scripture is only step one.
Sharpening our Spirit-supplied abilities helps us better glorify Jesus as his Body and in our communities. Aligning our perspectives with Scripture is necessary, but we must not stop there. Our Spirit-equipped human abilities need sharpening as well. If you bake, become a better baker. If you preach, become a better preacher. If you listen, become a better listener. You get the idea. Sharpen what God has given rather than envying or waiting for what he has not. Glorify God to the best of your ability, and keep raising the bar.
So, let us know the Scripture more deeply. Let us pray more bluntly. Let us praise more descriptively. Let us learn to do all of this with overflowing, extravagant gratitude. It will not be easy, and we will fail. But the Spirit is right here. Our siblings in Christ are right here. Let us remind one another of God's amazing grace. Let us minister to one another with that same grace. Let us live as priests.
Who writes Academy? Laura has an MDiv in Christian Education, a ThM in Systematic Theology, and a PhD in Educational Studies. She also serves TFB as a guitarist (primarily) and singer in TFB's worship band. Jeff has a Certificate in Biblical and Theological Studies and a Certificate in Spiritual Formation and is currently working on an MA in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care. He also serves as kitchen lead for TFB's Family Dinner and as TFB’s bookkeeper
