Inner City Ministry – An often unlovely ministry – can you love the unlovely?
My husband and I have been privileged to work with my son in an inner city ministry. When interviewing my son, who leads this inner city ministry, here are some important “Please dos” he mentions to those who think they may be called to work in an inner city ministry. Really, this is true if you want to work in any ministry that the Lord calls you to. Here are his words:
Inner City Ministry? What are your thoughts? Do you find it hard to love the unlovely?
PLEASE DO:
“Please do if you believe that you are as much a sinner as these.” James 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
“Please do if your heart breaks when you see the poor, the criminal, the drug addict, the homeless, the orphan, the abused, the hated.” Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
“Please do if you love to be among them.” Mark 6:34 And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.
“Please do if you remember that ‘while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.'” Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
You can read the whole interview HERE.
If you think inner city ministry is for you then think about this first:
Many of these young children in the inner city are being raised literally by gangsters. Many have been molested – by adults and each other. The adults in their lives are selling the food stamps and the kids are hungry for real food and nutrition. They watch drug deals and resulting debauchery in their own front yards. The ones who do have someone who loves them are broken and angry as they watch their loved one be controlled by drunkenness, drugs, or pills (doctor drug dealing). But the most desperate part of it all is that they are growing up with the name of Jesus only being used as a curse word or as a (g)od that is like them and is OK with sin. They need to know the Jesus Christ of the Bible, the very God and Creator who came to save them from their sin.
Yes, so sad and burdened it makes us as we look around every week, every day, and see the situation these people are in. Yet, we are grateful for what God has done and what He is now doing. We appreciate your prayers as we continue. Pray that the Lord will send forth laborers for the time is short.
Psalms 126:3 The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.