We All Matter (1)

‘...God has arranged the parts...just as He wanted them...’ 1 Corinthians 12:18 NIV

Ever tried to complete a jigsaw puzzle with a piece missing? It changes the end result, doesn’t it? In the church God is building today, everyone has a place. Paul writes, ‘…the whole building…fitted together, is growing…’ (Ephesians 2:21 NAS) A bundle of sticks is stronger than a single twig. So, ‘…in Christ we…form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.’ (Romans 12:5 NIV) A non-serving Christian is a contradiction in terms. In Nehemiah’s day, it was the farmers of Tekoa who helped repair the wall, ‘…but their nobles would not put their shoulders to the work.’ (Nehemiah 3:5 NRS) Bricklaying wasn’t part of their job description, so they let others do the heavy lifting. We all know people who subscribe to that philosophy! Never underestimate the significance of your assignment. ‘…parts…that seem…least important are…the most necessary.’ (1 Corinthians 12:22 NLT) Think about who’s more important: a world leader or a sanitation worker. When Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981, although he was the leader of the free world, it was ‘business as usual’ for the nation. Conversely, when Philadelphia refuse collectors went on strike the city descended into chaos as piles of rotting refuse built up everywhere. The point is, you don’t have to be a seminary graduate to pray and read the Bible, or a prophet to hear from God, or a specialist to minister to hurting people. To do great things for God, be faithful in little ones (Luke 16:10). Until you are willing to serve time on the assembly line, God can’t promote you to management!