Don't Miss the Ministry in the Middle

"But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" - Matthew 5:44

We often think God can only use us once we are out of the storm. Once the chaos settles. Once the healing happens. Once we feel whole again. But God does not wait to move until life feels clean and tidy. Sometimes the most powerful ministry comes not after the pain, but right in the middle of it.

Paul was sitting in prison when he wrote some of his most powerful words. Not on the other side of freedom. Not after his wounds were healed. Right there in the chains. He did not wait to bless others until he had everything together. He kept preaching. Kept writing. Kept ministering. Because he knew that God’s power could still flow through his pain.

You may be walking through something today that feels heavy. Maybe you are waiting for a breakthrough. Maybe you are still hurting. But even there, God wants to use you. There are people watching you. There are people who need the light of Jesus that shines through your faithfulness. Your joy in the middle of sorrow may be what leads someone else to hope. Your kindness through the struggle may be what points someone to Jesus.

Do not underestimate what God can do through your brokenness. You do not have to be on the mountaintop for your life to matter. You just have to be willing to stay available. That is what makes the difference. Not perfection. Not performance. Just obedience.

Wherever you are today, whatever you are carrying, ask yourself this: Who can I bless even while I wait for my own breakthrough? Who can I encourage while I still feel the weight of the battle? That kind of ministry is powerful. And that kind of obedience will not go unnoticed by God. He sees it. He honors it. And He will use it to change lives.