THE STORY OF JESUS: Romans 12:3-8
“We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.” (Romans 12:6)
In the human body, every part of the body has a task, something to offer.
This is true in the church body too, but it does not always seem this way.
I know people in the church body whose gifts are either not used, or not appreciated.
If they left this week, nothing would change in the church, except an empty seat.
This is a problem, but not one I am blaming the individual for (that’s between them and God).
For our part, are we asking them, giving them the opportunity, drawing them in?
God has GRACED us with these people, are we rejecting God’s grace?
If the people we presently have are what God has given us, how can we say there are not enough people?
I believe that we have everyone we need to be the church God wants us to be.
Our church is filled with many different gifts; our job is to encourage their use.
When each person somehow uses their gifts for the kingdom, we are being the church God calls us to be.
Our struggle as a church is not that we don’t have enough people with the right gifts.
Our struggle is we are not using the gifts that God has graced us with; that is all God asks of us.
My problem is that I think about a program-based church, which needs certain gifts.
God has designed a gift-based church; whatever gifts we have among us are what God expects of us.
Paul urges us to use our gifts for God and good; if we do that, we will be God’s kind of church.
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
Lord, my ideas about the church are screwed up. I keep comparing ourselves to other churches. Help me to appreciate each person in our church and encourage them to use their gifts. Then we will be the church You graced us to be.