Did You Know You Are a Priest and Minister of God?
Scripture — Isaiah 61:6 (NRSV)
But you shall be called priests of the LORD,
you shall be named ministers of our God;
you shall enjoy the wealth of the nations,
and in their riches you shall glory.
Focus
Though certain churches have designated priests who do specific tasks within their congregations, every single Christian is a priest of God in the world. This includes you! We’re all called to represent Christ, to serve him by serving others, and to offer all that we do and all that we are to God as our “spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1). No matter where we are, no matter what we do for our daily work, God urges us to live out our high calling as priests and ministers.
Devotion
Do you ever think of yourself as a priest of the Lord? If you happen to be a clergyperson in the Anglican, Catholic, or Eastern Orthodox traditions, then you can easily answer this question in the affirmative. (I know we have a few literal priests who subscribe to Life for Leaders.) But what if you’re a salesperson, a business owner, a medical professional, or a cabinetmaker? What if you’re a mother or a father, an aunt or an uncle? Do you see yourself as a priest of God?
Isaiah 61:6 would urge you to do so. So would the broad sweep of the biblical narrative.
From early in biblical history, Israel was to play a unique role as a priestly nation to the world. When God first made a covenant through Moses, God said to the Israelites, “Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. Indeed, the whole earth is mine, but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the Israelites” (Exodus 19:5-6).
Yet, over the centuries, Israel lost sight of the priestly calling God had given to the nation. The Israelites had a hard enough time following God for themselves, not to mention representing God in a priestly way to the world. But, in chapter 61, the prophet Isaiah looks ahead to a day of restoration, a time when God’s people would truly be priests and ministers, not just within Israel, but also for the world.
We, who are God’s people through Christ, have inherited this priestly calling. According to 1 Peter 2:5, we are “a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” Our sacrifices do not just include offering God praise and prayer in corporate worship, but also living our lives in the world for God’s sake. As it says in Romans 12:1, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” Everything we do with our bodies, including our daily work, can and should be offered to God as worship.
Though certain churches have designated priests who do specific tasks within their congregations, every single Christian is a priest of God in the world. This includes you! We’re all called to represent Christ, to serve him by serving others, and to offer all that we do and all that we are to God as our “spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1). No matter where we are, no matter what we do for our daily work, God urges us to live out our high calling as priests and ministers.
Reflect
Do you think of yourself as one of God’s priests? Why or why not?
If you did think this way, what difference might it make in your daily life and work?
Where in your world do you serve in a priestly role, representing God to others? At home? In your church? In your workplace?
How might you do this even more faithfully?
Act
As you interact with people today, at work or at home, at school or in your neighborhood, look for an opportunity to serve someone as one of God’s priests. You don’t have to mention God or get “all spiritual.” You can simply help someone, knowing you are doing this as an act of “spiritual worship.”
Pray
Gracious God, even as the Israelites were to be your priests for the larger world, so we have this high calling today. We are in the world, not simply to wait around for our trip to Heaven, but rather to serve you as priests by serving others in your name. We are your priests, Lord, in our families and at work. We represent you wherever we are.
Help us, we pray, to accept this high calling with joy and conviction. May we live for you each day, seeing every moment, every relationship, and every task as an opportunity to serve you and to live out your kingdom.
All praise to you, O God, because you have called us to be your priests. In the name of Jesus, our great high priest, we pray. Amen.
Find all Life for Leaders devotions here. Explore what the Bible has to say about work at the unique website of our partners, the Theology of Work Project’s online commentary. Reflection on today’s Life for Leaders theme can be found here: The Meaning of Law in Exodus (Exodus 19:1-24:18).
Mark D. Roberts
Senior Strategist
Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a Senior Strategist for Fuller’s Max De Pree Center for Leadership, where he focuses on the spiritual development and thriving of leaders. He is the principal writer of the daily devotional, Life for Leaders,...