Are You Doing Your Share?

My daughter recently had knee surgery to replace a torn ACL. While in physical therapy, her therapist noticed that her quad muscles were not responding to the signals from her brain. Even though other muscles were compensating for it, she was not progressing as she should in the recovery process. In order to get her quad muscles to respond, the therapist used shock therapy, sending electrical pulses into her quad muscles which stimulated them to re-engage.

I see some similarities with Beth's knee experience and the body of Christ. As Christians, we are all members of Christ's body. When one of us does not fulfill his/her role, it causes the whole body to slow dow and compensate for the mis-use or non-use of the one. In order to get it to work and engage again, God uses shock therapy. Well, He doesn't shock us with electrical impulses, but God does discipline us in order for us to grow and mature until we become what He wants us to be. God uses tough times, especially times of suffering to refine us and to cause us to listen and lean upon Him. The discipline is complete when we fully trust Him.

With this in mind, there are 2 questions to consider:
1. " What gifts has God given you that you are not using to build up the body of Christ?" Another way to ask this is, "why would one not use the gifts God has given?" We do not frame our actions or inactions in this way. Some think, "I do not need to go to Bible study, church or a gathering" or "I have more important things to do" or "I do not have the time to help" or "I do not get anything out of it." Reality is that God has designed us to need the very things we put off. The older Christian has something to offer the newer Christian. One has years of faith experience, tested and tried in the fires of life. They know that God is faithful and true. They bring confidence and maturity to the table when they gather with other believers. The newer Christian brings passion and excitement. It's all new, fresh, exhilerating. Both the older and the new Christian needs each other. That is how God designed it. When we do not contribute what we have been given and refrain from involvement with fellow believers, and keep our giftings to ourselves, then we cause the body of Christ to begin compensating for our lack of involvement. The church may be limping along, or other muscle groups taking on your role because you refuse to do so. God has given us gifts for a purpose. One day each of us will stand before the Lord and give an account on why we used or did not use the precious gifts He gave us.

2. "What discipline have you thrown off?" You see, when we do not learn the lesson God has in mind, He brings it around again and again until we learn it. Now some of us are a little stubborn and pigheaded. We don't get it the first time nor the second or third. How much easier would it have been if we had listened, learned and leaned upon God. Something may have come to mind as you read this. For we know our weak areas and faults. We see the patterns continue in our lives. So write it down. Meditate on it. Pray about it and ask God to shape you in this area so that God's discipline is complete and your character reflects the character of Christ.

When each believer participates in the body of Christ, the body is healthier and able to cope with the tough times of life. If a body is acting on only a percentage of its muscles, it is far weaker, because the other muscles are over working and are now tired. May each of us rise up and use what God has given us, not for our sake, but for the glory of God.

Blessings,
Pastor Pete