What is our duty?
Does the Bible answer that question?
Perhaps you memorized the verse as part of a Bible Class Assignment.
Here it is.
Ecclesiastes 12:13, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”
“Fear God…”
This is not suggesting the we be afraid of God.
It is stating that we are to Reverence Him. Study enough to know Who and What He is.
Experience Him so that we have a mutual friendship.
Respect Him as the One who takes notice of each breath that I take, each thought that I have, each struggle that I experience.
Through a thousand ways God has offered His Friendship to me, to you.
And with that Friendship comes the ability to complete the second part of the “duty of mankind:”
“Keep His Commandments.”
The closer the friendship with God is, the greater the Gift that He gives me to make it possible for me to Obey.
How is this a Ministry?
A rose doesn’t struggle to get you to notice its beauty.
A jasmine doesn’t thrash around to get you to notice its perfume.
The beauty of the rose is there for the observant to take note of and be directed to the Sculptor who fashioned its beauty.
The fragrance of the jasmine floats in the air effortlessly so that the passer-by is intrigued to learn more about the Chemist who mixed its perfume.
My life, like the rose, is to be attractive, inviting a closer look at my God.
My actions, worn like perfume, are to share the truth about my God.
So it is that we enter into the ministry of attracting others to our Friend that we have invited to live in us. They are to see his beauty and sense his perfume – through contact with you, with me.