To Serve & Protectಮಾದರಿ

9. To Serve the Church

“However, he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ.”
– Ephesians 5:7 (NLT)

Nobody can do everything. But everybody can do something.

When Paul wrote to the Ephesians about church unity and service, he encouraged them to be at peace with each other through humility, patience and love. Interestingly, he continues to say that when everyone finds their function and slots into service, the church not only becomes stronger, but also at peace with herself.

As with our bodies, that become holistically stronger and more functional as each and every part fulfills its function, so it is with the church as well. When each and every person start stepping into service to fulfill a certain function, then peace, unity and maturity should become the natural outflow. If everyone understands their role in the body, the compulsion to compare and the urge to criticize become less.

When everyone starts doing their specific thing, then everyone can inevitably focus on the same thing – serving Christ individually as He builds His Kingdom through us collectively.

This does not mean that we exclusively only do what our gifting is, like a robot, and never assist outside our comfort zone. No, for then we are not truly showing an attitude of service at all. For even when climbing up a mountainside, your body eventually needs the use of your hands as well when the climb becomes too steep and your legs experience fatigue. Despite the climb being primarily a walking activity. And even when unloading things from a car, you might use your feet to close a door behind you when your hands are too full. Likewise, while each part of the body has a specific role, we often use them to fulfill secondary objectives also.

Your local and global church needs your service and involvement. The Kingdom of God, being built by Jesus through His church, need you to find your place and fulfill your role in the bigger body. You need to mature in your faith by functioning in your gifting as you grow to reach deeper relationships in Christ and His church.

Get involved with what your church is doing. Start volunteering somewhere, start attending something more than just a Sunday service. Don’t burn yourself out and don’t try to do everything but start finding your passion and purpose by doing something.

Get your part in what your church is doing. As you become more involved, you start to find your ‘natural fit’ among other people. And the Holy Spirit will also start revealing to you what your gifting is and urge you to decide where you should be involved. In time, your experience and participation will result in the right part for you to play in the body.

Get matured by what your church is doing. When you start realizing your role and fulfilling your function at church, you grow to maturity in Christ and unity with others. This does not mean the more you do at church, the more mature you become. No, it means that the more you do as church, the more you mature. Maturity is the result of walking in obedience to and taking up responsibility in Christ. Jesus wants a church community where everyone starts serving specifically and fulfilling their function. A unified and mature member of Christ’s body is someone who takes responsibility for the role they need to play as church, in the greater community.

Read Ephesians 4:1-16 and Reflect on the following…

• What’s your observation about unity in the church and maturity in Christ?
• How can you grow in maturity in Christ and unity in the church?
• Where can you specifically serve as a member of your church?
• What do you need to pray about today?