Monday June 18, 2012

Think about what your offering to God communicates.

 

Read 1 Corinthians 12:14-26

 

Legendary UCLA basketball coach John wooden had an in interesting rule for his teams.  When a player scored, he was to acknowledge the person on the team who had assisted.  When he was coaching high school, one of his players asked, “Coach, won’t that take up too much time?” Wooden replied, “I’m not asking you to run over there and give him a big hug.  A nod will do.”

To achieve victory on the basketball court, Wooden saw the importance of teaching his players that they were a team—not “just a bunch of independent operators.”  Each person contributes to the success of everyone else.

 

That reminds me of the way the body of Christ should work.  According to 1Corinthians 12:19-20, each of us is a separate part of one body.  “If they were all one member, where would the body be?  But . . .  There are many members, yet one body.”  Is the success of a pastor, a Bible study or a church program based solely on one person’s accomplishments?  How many people contribute to the smooth operation of a church, a Christian organisation, a family?

 

Coach Wooden’s rule and 1Corinthians 12 are both rooted in the principle of seeing our need for one another.  Let’s use our gifts within the body of Christ to  build up, strengthen and help to carry out God’s purposes (vs 1-11).

 

Prayer:

¥ Pray that each and every single believer in your congregation would be willingly, even joyously participating in the body by using gifts and abilities to edify and bless others. Pray that God would show those who don’t know their spiritual gift what He has blessed them with.

¥ Pray that more people would come into His Kingdom as the world sees us loving each other and serving each other with Jesus like love and sacrifice. Pray that you personally would be showing that love to others.