Ministering to the Lord: Choosing the Better Part
There’s a phrase in Ezekiel 44 that has shaped how many of us think about life and ministry: the sons of Zadok “shall come near to me to minister to me” (Ezek. 44:15–16). Watchman Nee, in his Twelve Baskets Full series, referenced this distinction by saying: there is ministry to the house, and then there is ministry to the Lord of the house. Both matter, but they do not carry the same weight. The first is activity; the second is fellowship. The first can be done at a distance; the second requires nearness.
I want to invite you to re-center your work, your wounds, and your worship by drawing nearer to the cross—what Scripture calls “ministering to the Lord.”
Ministry or Devotion? (Ezekiel 44)
Ezekiel 44 presents two priestly paths. Many served at the gates and handled the practical needs of the house. But a smaller company—those of the line of Zadok—were summoned behind the veil of activity into level of fellowship. Their first calling wasn’t to people; it was to God. They were to stand before Him, keep charge of His table, and burnt offerings on His altar. The difference isn’t about worth but about order: ministry to the Lord always precedes and is the fuel of ministry to people.
This order guards us from idolatry. It’s possible to love the work of the Lord more than the Lord of the work. When that happens, we measure ourselves by visible outcomes, applause, and momentum. But the priests who “come near” find their significance from His Presence, not the crowd. They learn that God’s will is discerned not by noise or need alone, but by listening to the still small voice.
Martha and Mary: The Better Portion
Luke tells the story of two sisters who both loved Jesus (Luke 10:38–42). Martha welcomed Him and got busy serving; Mary sat at His feet and listened. Jesus refused to shame Martha’s service—He simply insisted that service must take its place in God’s kingdom order. “Mary has chosen the better part.” In other words, Mary’s posture is not a negation of ministry; it is the foundation of ministry. Jesus was establishing a priority.
We need both sisters in our churches, and both postures in our souls. But when the room gets crowded with tasks, budgets, and calendars, we must remember the sequence: first His feet, then His work. Worship is not the intermission between acts of service; it is the script by which service is effective.
Servanthood and Worship: A Divine Pattern
Jesus came as a servant (Mark 10:45). To follow Him is to serve. Yet Scripture’s picture of healthy service always begins with worship. Consider Isaiah: before he says, “Here am I, send me,” he sees the Lord high and lifted up (Isaiah 6). Consider the early church: before they sent Paul and Barnabas, they “worshiped the Lord and fasted” (Acts 13:2). The engine of mission turns on the power of devotion to the Lord.
A few practical ways to build this pattern:
- Start with the Word. Read Scripture not as a manual for tasks, but as a meeting place. Ask, “What does God want me to do?” before you ask, “What should I do?”
- Make every Duty an Altar. As you plan, counsel, teach, or set up chairs, quietly tell Him what you’re doing and why. Make the task a small altar.
- Protect Your Alone Time with the Lord. The busier the week, the more fiercely we guard a block of time for worship, stillness, and unhurried prayer.
When worship leads, service becomes participation instead of performance.
Developing a Ministry to the Lord
What might a church look like if Ezekiel 44 shaped its values and priorities?
- Prayer before planning. Leadership meetings that begin not with agendas but with worship and word.
- Scripture that becomes conversation. Mercy moments where we linger over a single phrase or word until it ministers to us.
- Repentance and Confession. Be specific and clear the air with God and one another.
- Be a Peacemaker. Clear communication creates trust and opens the door for the ministry of reconciliation to operate
In this kind of atmosphere, “ministry to the house” becomes the overflow of “ministry to the Lord.” We don’t abandon service—we redeem it at its source.
The priests of Zadok remind us that God’s first call is to draw close to him. Mary reminds us that the better portion is a Person. Moses reminds us that even leaders need lifted hands. And Jesus reminds us that the Son of Man came to serve because He first lived in the love of the Father.
So today, before you check a box or answer an email, light a fire on the inner altar of your heart. Lift your hands empty of bitterness. Tell Him again that He is your portion. Bring your wounds to His table. Ask Him where to seek help and where to set a boundary. Offer forgiveness as worship. Then rise and serve—not to earn His nearness, but because you already have it. Now, you are directed by the Divine Hand anointed to accomplish your God given assignment.
May our churches become places where God is ministered to first, and where people experience the overflow of that devotion: peace, healing, and the steady witness of a people who have chosen the better part and it shall lead you to victory.
