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Do you know what the ministry of presence is? 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. That is an important part of this ministry of presence—simply being there for others, carrying their burdens, 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. This is the new commandment Jesus has given us, and it should be a hallmark of our lives as Christ-followers.
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 that 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?
Recently God has made it clear to me that I need 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 that 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.