The church is not just a place we go to so we can grow and be cared for, it is also a place that we serve one another in love as Christ loved us. Every believer has at least one spiritual gift that are to be used in community for the good and edification of the community. These gifts are given by God for us to bring Him glory as well.
Paul teaches us in I Corinthians 12:4-11- “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit… All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually has He wills.”See how the Trinity plays such a strong role in our giftedness!
As others, especially our children, see us using our gifts within the church, they will learn that the church isn’t just about the work of the elders and deacons. They will see that the church works best when the whole church works serving the Lord as they serve one another with the gifts they have been given. Every member matters just like in a biological family. When one is missing from the family due to illness or sinfulness the whole family suffers. The same is true for the church. We are dependent upon one another to continue in healthy and vitality that will grow the kingdom and glorify the Lord. “God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together” (I Cor. 12:26).
From the youngest to the oldest each of our gifts are meant for one another and when we are not around much is lost in the “family/community” dynamic that reveals the Lord, within the church and to those without. For the youngest in our midst we are to equip them and expect them to serve at age appropriate levels so that when they are older, serving becomes a natural part of their life in the church. When we grow our children this way they actually feel more connected to the body of Christ. So as they grow they recognize the importance of this gift from God called the Church where we all use our gifts for the good of each other and for God’s glory. As they grow and as we serve, in love, we will not see our service as a burden, but a blessing to those around us. As in our church these forms of service are age appropriate to picking up after themselves to helping carry chairs to prayer for one another as we see every Sunday as our younger ones make up as much as half of the prayer requests. Nothing makes a bound stronger with one another than prayer for one another.
So by serving one another we build relationship with one another. By serving one another we reveal the love we have for one another. The more we serve one another the more we desire to be a blessing to each other and the healthier the church is. As Jesus said, so we too ought to strive towards, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many. (Matt. 20:28).
All of us grow in confidence as we use our God given gifts to be a blessing to others. You say, you don’t know what gift or gifts you may have been blessed with? Well, that is another reason for the Church… to help you ascertain and then put into use the gifts that the Church sees in you confirming God’s continued blessing on us… to be a blessing to others.
God Bless y’all today.
In His Grip,
Pastor Mike
