God Has a Ministry and a Mission—for You! - Daily Hope with Rick Warren - January 19, 2026

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“It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping others.” Ephesians 2:10 (TLB)

God put you on earth to make a contribution—and he’s calling you to a service far beyond anything you could ever imagine. 

You weren’t created just to consume resources—to eat, breathe, and take up space. You were created to add to the world around you, not just to take from it. God wants you to give something back—to help other people. God designed you to make a difference with your life.

The Living Bible paraphrase says, “It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping others” (Ephesians 2:10).  

Whenever you serve others in any way, you are actually serving God. As Colossians 3:23-24 says, “Do your work willingly, as though you were serving the Lord himself, and not just your earthly master. In fact, the Lord Christ is the one you are really serving, and you know he will reward you” (CEV).

In one of his parables, Jesus said, “The king will answer, ‘Whenever you did it for any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for me’” (Matthew 25:40 CEV). 

And the apostle Paul shared the same message: “Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people” (Ephesians 6:7 NLT).

God said it this way to the prophet Jeremiah in the Old Testament: “Before I made you in your mother’s womb, I chose you. Before you were born, I set you apart for a special work” (Jeremiah 1:5 NCV).

When most people think of this “special work,” they think of pastors, priests, and professional clergy. But God says that he expects every member of his family to minister. In the Bible, the words servant and minister are synonyms; service and ministry are synonyms too. If you are a Christian, you are a minister. And when you’re serving, you’re ministering.

Have you ever wondered why God didn’t just immediately take you to heaven the moment you accepted his grace? Why does he leave his children in a fallen world? He leaves you here to fulfill his purposes. 

Once you are saved, God wants you to be part of making his goals a reality here on earth. That means God has a ministry for you in his church and a mission for you in the world!

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Rick Warren is an innovative pastor, renowned author, and global influencer known for founding Saddleback Church, the Purpose Driven Network, the PEACE Plan, and Hope for Mental Health. He has written several best-selling books, including The Purpose Driven Life, which has sold over 35 million copies in 200 languages. Time magazine named Warren the most influential spiritual leader in America and one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Since stepping down from the lead pastor role at Saddleback in 2022, Warren has continued to inspire people through his Daily Hope Devotional and podcast Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope. His first book in a decade, Created to Dream, was released in April 2023.

For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!

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This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

You can listen to Rick Warren on OnePlace.com.