Before we do anything, it is vital for our spiritual growth to consult the Lord and live each moment in His perfect will for us (Proverbs 3:5-6; Ephesians 2:10). While living by the Spirit, we will all function as a valuable member of the Body of Christ. God places each of us in His Body as it pleases Him (Matthew 25:40).
What we do for others, we do for Him (Matthew 25:41). In this modern society, however, the Body of Christ is too busy for its own good. We neglect our Lord and one another, because we make our own pursuits more important than God’s will for our life (1 Peter 4:10; Ephesians 2:10).
We disregard our fellow Believers because of the time-consuming and the energy-exhausting nature of our church programs, which competes with our own overly busy schedules (1 Corinthians 12:22). Years ago, the government took over so many of the church’s ministries because the needs went unmet.
Take, for instance, the care of our elderly. They go unvisited and feel unwanted, because we do not make them a priority in our church family. Elderly Saints, who ministered for the Lord all their life, all need and deserve our attention. We can interact with them in many different ways.
For instance, rides to doctor appointments, regularly visiting them, taking someone out to lunch, cards in the mail, phone calls, and praying with them for their requests are just a few ways that we can minister to our elderly. Our youth can rake their yard, we can give them rides with us to the grocery store, our skilled laborers can work together to make repairs on their home, etc.
Caring for the children attending our churches is another neglected ministry. We already raised our children, or we are in the process of raising them, and we want nothing to do with children's ministries in the Body of Christ, because we are already mentally and physically exhausted.
Most parents are so stressed out today that children's workers in the Body of Christ can fill in the gaps and encourage our children to grow up in service to God. Many adults give youth leaders credit for their own dedication to God. We influence eternity by our vital service to the children in our church body now.
Since very few people will commit to this ministry, many churches end up hiring people in order to have someone committed to the children. Our young people need Godly authority, responsibility, approval, and nurturing in the same way in which God relates to us (John 3:16; Romans 5:8).
Single parents need the most help. We can babysit to allow these exhausted parents a chance to allow their Inner Child to play. Gifting these hardworking adults with a certificate to go out to eat with friends or to buy whatever they need at a retail store is also helpful on their tight budget.
We can make time for God and His Body as a priority in our life by simplifying our own busy schedule. If we all band together as a church Body, the care required in these vital ministries will not be a burden on any one person but will be a blessing for everyone involved (Romans 15:7). Then, our church’s members – young and old - will never feel neglected (1 Corinthians 12:12-27).
Prayer:
Father God, teach us to love Your Body as You love us. Allow us to be Your ambassadors to Your Body. Unconditional love and acceptance give Your Body the assurance we all crave as human beings, regardless of our age or social/economic status. Remind us to give one another grace in our failings and to encourage one another in our successes.
Give us listening ears, discernment, and the ability to recognize body language in order to be present in each moment that we are with one another, rather than taking each other for granted. Help us to make one another feel safe to share our issues with each other, so we can bear each other's burdens as You expect us to do (Galatians 6:2). We thank You for Your eternal presence in our life, and we worship You as our almighty God.
Thought for the Day:
If Satan can keep us in bondage to our schedule, he cripples us in our service to God and His Body; God calls the many working parts of His Body to unite together to serve in unison with each other and to show care to one another by doing our share to meet the needs of the whole body.
- 1 Corinthians 12:12-26
