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I was introduced to this term: the ministry of presence, when a young couple in our church began a ministry to the homeless people they encountered on the streets of Chicago around where they lived. It began simply by reaching out to one or two, talking to them, inviting them to church, providing Sunday lunch for them, and it grew to over 60 homeless people they served every weekend.
I love their story because it’s such a clear example of what Jesus would do. Jesus would see the needs on his doorstep, as Justin and Tara did, and he would start helping them in any way he could. In telling me their story, Justin said he had come to understand what the ministry of presence means.
You see, he made it a habit to invite one of his homeless friends to run errands with him, when possible, as he went about his everyday work and routine. One day he invited one of the guys to join him, took him along, stopped for coffee and a donut, and just generally spent some time together. No agenda, no specific purpose other than to be with this man who was homeless. As they made rounds that day, the homeless man said to him, “All my life I’ve been told I am worthless and no good; they told me I was stupid, and nobody would ever like me. But I don’t believe that anymore.” Justin asked him why, and he said, “Because if I was worthless, you wouldn’t hang out with me.”
Justin’s willingness to simply be with this man gave him a new understanding of his worth as a person. Justin went on to say what homeless people need more than anything else is not money or food, but it is a relationship—someone to simply be with them and care about them.
You know, that’s true for most of us, isn’t it? You and I need other people in our lives just to validate our worth. Can you imagine how you would feel if you believed other people did not want to be with you? The ministry of presence is real—and it’s just what Jesus would do—what he did do when he was on earth. Think of the many stories in the Gospels where Jesus was just “hanging out” with people—some of whom were considered undesirable. There was Zacchaeus and Mary Magdalene and the woman he met at the well, to mention just a few.
This is one ministry you can embrace—the ministry of presence. You and I can simply choose to be present in the lives of people who need to know they are loved by us and by God. You don’t have to preach or teach or solve their problems; you just need to be there for them and then see what God will do through you. This is a ministry every Christ-follower should take seriously, and every one of us is qualified and equipped for this ministry.
Galatians 6:2 describes it this way: Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. When we care enough about someone to carry their burden, we are practicing the ministry of presence—simply being there for others, sharing their sorrows, as well as increasing their joys by our presence. This is the fulfillment of the law of Christ, the teaching of Jesus.
In John 13:34 Jesus said, A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. The disciples knew the old commandments—the law which included the Ten Commandments. But this was a new commandment—note, not a suggestion—that Jesus gave them and us, and it should be a hallmark of our lives as Christ-followers.
So, to fulfill the law of Christ, this new commandment, you and I need to know and practice the ministry of presence—being there for people and showing them love in action. Love that comes from Jesus through us to them.
So, what I want to ask you today is: What person in your life right now could use your presence? What person needs to know someone cares and hasn’t forgotten them? Stop right now, if you can, and let God’s Spirit reveal that person to you. Perhaps a name popped right into your mind; if not, ask God to reveal that person to you. It may be someone very close to you, a relative or close friend; or it may be someone you just met. Or could it be a stranger you haven’t met but who is somehow in your life—the beggar on the street or your next-door neighbor?
I remember when God made it clear to me that I needed to do a better job of staying in touch regularly with some dear single women who have gone as missionaries to foreign countries. I’ve visited many of them, and I know how lonely and tough their lives can be. I know they need the ministry of presence. They don’t necessarily need to read my books or listen to my talks. They simply need to know that I have not forgotten them, and I can be present in their lives by way of the internet.
The ministry of presence is not hard to do. You don’t need a degree from a Bible school to do it; you don’t need to be able to quote Scripture or teach a Bible study lesson to be qualified. You simply need to make a commitment to be present in a person’s life; just be there for them and by your presence you will communicate God’s love. That’s what people need more than anything else.
The ministry of presence is about being a servant—putting others’ needs ahead of your own. Jesus calls us to come alongside others and become a part of their lives. It means you will serve people even when it might make you uncomfortable. It means you stand with people amid their anxiety and fear, in their difficult times.
I’m truly challenging you and me to take this ministry seriously. To ask God to show us what person in our lives needs our presence—simply needs us to be there for them.
For example, let’s say you work with a person who is going through something emotionally difficult—maybe a divorce or a recent death in their family. I find when people are in these kinds of traumatic situations, they simply want a listening ear. Could you invite that person to lunch or coffee and simply listen? Not on company time, of course, but at a time and in a place that is appropriate, to be truly present with them, giving them your undivided attention.
Or could it be there is someone very close to you—a mate or daughter or sibling—who needs to know you’re not too busy to spend time with them? I think sometimes we can fail to see those nearest to us who need our presence—our total attention to them and whatever issues they’re facing.
We hear people talk about spending “quality time” with their family, not “quantity time.” But I would suggest that quantity time is quality time. It’s giving enough of your time to someone so that may even be a sacrifice—you don’t get to do something you planned to do because you choose to simply spend time with that person. Don’t you think those close to you need some quantity time with you, just hanging out time, so they know you really want to be with them? That’s the ministry of presence.
You may have decided you don’t have certain gifts or abilities, and you devalue the contribution you can make in the lives of others. I’m here to tell you today if you are a Christ-follower, you are totally capable and qualified to have the ministry of presence. It’s just a matter of becoming intentional about doing it.
Everyone in the body of Christ is qualified for this ministry. You do not have to be brilliant, persuasive, articulate or experienced. You do not have to be anything but available to be a wonderful tool in the hand of God. In fact, often the ministry of presence is a ministry without words.
You know, sometimes we use the Bible as though it were a band-aid. So, we stick a favorite verse on others who are suffering, and feel we’ve really helped them. But just as physical injuries take time to heal, emotional injuries do as well. True, when people are suffering, they need the truth of Scripture to help them heal, but sometimes they just need it demonstrated in your actions rather than in your words. Your presence can communicate what your words will never be able to say.
And keep in mind, when you’re with someone who is hurting, you don’t need to have answers. Often, I say to someone in pain, “I cannot explain this. I don’t know why this has happened.” That’s not terribly profound, but it’s often just simply the truth. So, when someone is really struggling with why something hurtful has happened to them, trying to come up with an explanation usually just makes them feel worse. Just be there; just give them the ministry of your presence without answers.
You and I cannot eliminate someone’s grief or sorrow, but we can share it and that will lighten their load. True believers, mature Christians grieve. Jesus did, and we will, too. We can’t stop it with words, but we can lighten it by our presence.
Are you available today for the ministry of presence? I believe if you are, God will give you an opportunity today to simply be there for someone. God is showing me more and more how to practice being there for people and as a person who is project-oriented, this is a new lesson for me. I’m truly learning the importance of the ministry of presence.
For example, often when I am praying for someone or thinking about them, a thought will come into my mind about what I could do to be there for that person. I’ve learned that when those kinds of ideas come into my mind, they’re most likely placed there by the Holy Spirit, and therefore I should pay attention. So, many times I pause right then and write a note, make a call, or add something to my to-do list to remind the person that I’m thinking about them and I care.
I have a friend who is struggling with a health issue. Obviously, I can’t do anything to help her resolve that issue, but I can let her know that I’m thinking about her and praying for her. Just to say that to someone, whether in person, on the phone, or by written word is an example of practicing the ministry of presence.
Inviting someone to your home for no reason except to let them be with you is another example of practicing the ministry of presence. One Thanksgiving two people who didn’t have close-by family were invited to my daughter’s home to enjoy dinner with us, and it was an expression of caring and concern to them, though we never spoke those words. They were invited simply to share a nice meal with us. Their invitation to be with us was the ministry extended to them that day. And it was a delight to have them with us.
I don’t think I’ll ever forget what the homeless man said to my friend, Justin. He said he now knew he wasn’t worthless or stupid like he had been told all his life, because if he were, my friend would not hang out with him.
The ministry of presence is hanging out with someone, even if it might be inconvenient or push you out of your comfort zone. Who is it in your life that would love for you to hang out with them? Are you willing to answer the call of Jesus to show his love through the ministry of your presence?