Would you be willing to do this experiment for a full week? Tie one arm to your body so that you can’t use it all for the whole week. Alternately, you could tie up one leg so that you can’t use it. Alternately you could blindfold one eye or stop one ear from being able to hear at all.
How would you fare for the entire week? I think you’d be rather frustrated and fatigued by the end of the week. I think you would gain a new appreciation for that particular body part that you willingly lost use of!
God describes the Church as the body of Christ. The body image conveys exactly what the experiment above conveyed - that every part of the body is useful and is needed. Every part is to be appreciated. When individuals stay away from church (accepting that there are valid reasons) it’s like not being able to use a particular body part. It’s frustrating and fatiguing for those who do attend.
God’s plan is that each and every single person in the church has a vital role to play. This includes our Sonday gatherings but is not limited to it. Verse 7 makes this exceedingly clear. God tells us that each one has a manifestation of the Holy Spirit through which they can serve the body and bless it. What is your role in the church? Are you an evangelist? Are you a welcomer or greeter? Can you make new comers feel welcome and invite them for a meal at your place? Are you gifted in preaching or teaching? Could you help out with the children’s program? Perhaps you’re an encourager and you can bless people before or after the service. Are you musical or do you have a singing ability? Are you technically minded? Perhaps you could help out behind the scenes making sure that all the equipment works.
God makes it clear (vs14-24) that we can neither opt out of the body because we don’t have certain other gifts or abilities. We should never seek to be like so and so. We should never leave a church because we aren’t as gifted or talented as someone else. Nor can we opt others out because we don’t think they are needed. God is the organiser of the gifts in the body and it is His role, not mine or yours, to determine who is in the body. Our job is to accept and love every believer in the body of Christ.
Finding your gift (if you don’t already know it) is relatively easy. Here’s a 5 step plan to work through should you not know your spiritual gift.
- Pray. Ask God to show you what your gift is. This is parallel to asking God what He wants you to be doing in the church. The answer from God will never be that He wants you to sit back and spectate.
- Passion. Think about where your passion is and move towards that area.
- Perceive the needs in your church. Ask the elders about what needs are currently present.
- Practice. Choose a need and fill that need. Stick at it for some time, say 6 months.
- Peer Review. Seek to get input from your peers about how you have been going in filling that need. If you have made a discernable difference, this is one of your gifts. If you have made no discernable difference go back to step 1 and repeat the process.
God’s Word is exceedingly clear about your role in the church.
Now you (plural) are the body of Christ and each one of you (single) is a part of it.
Prayer:
Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to help you get ideas.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
- Pray that our cell groups would be building people up in the faith and that they would be utilizing people’s gifts and putting them to work for the sake of the Kingdom.
- Pray that we would have a blessed Sonday this weekend as we fellowship, worship together and sing glory, honour and praise to our God. Pray that the preacher would be Spirit filled and courageous to preach the unadulterated Word in all its power and glory.
No comments:
Post a Comment