Inspiration from a Highway Man

Inspiration from a Highway Man

“For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:2-5

“I thought you’d want to know about one man’s ministry for the Lord,” a friend said. “He stands on an overpass over the highway with a cross.”

I waited for more, but there wasn’t any. And yet in the less than two minutes it had taken my friend to describe the man’s ministry, he had described one of the most loving, powerful, sincere, humble, meek, and grace-filled ministries I had ever heard of.

For any of us who have ever struggled with thinking we need to do “BIG” things for God, or have felt we have fallen miserably far short in serving God because we’ve compared ourselves to people in ministry caught up in BIG PLANS, BIG PROGRAMS, BIG NUMBERS, FANCY SUITS AND DRESSES, and SEEMINGLY PERFECTLY PREPARED SERMONS and such, in this man’s ministry lie BIG lessons for us all.

1. THE MOST IMPORTANT aspect of ministry is OBEDIENCE to God in what HE calls us to do and proclaiming THE CROSS of Christ, for it is Christ’s death and resurrection that paves the way for salvation and eternal life for all who repent, believe in Christ, and turn to God and live for Him.
2. The man’s ministry holding the cross on the overpass for all to see is about exalting Jesus Christ, NOT himself. Ministry is not about garnering attention for ourselves, but about pointing people to Christ!
3. The man doesn’t look to Christianity, churches, ministries, and people in ministry to determine his service to God. He looks to God.
4. He trusts the Spirit of God to lead people to the Lord instead of doing acrobatics like so many in ministry do to draw people to God – or, sadly, to themselves. He simply holds the cross. And I can only imagine he prays for those who drive by. He isn’t caught up in church programs, membership, attendance, picnics, video screens, fancy suits, big sermons, pats on the back, goody bags and gifts, nothing other than the Lord Jesus Christ and proclaiming Him as Lord and Savior to the world as it rushes by.

Humbling and convicting, isn’t it? It is for me! The apostle Paul had amazing success in ministry because he knew it was ALL about God’s Spirit working through Him and not about himself. He was merely a vessel wholly devoted to God and to preaching Christ crucified.

   May we all seek the Lord and obey Him concerning what He would have us do as His humble, devoted vessels. We may not all stand on an overpass with a cross, but we can still hold up the cross of Christ for all to see.