Before we do anything, let us consult the Lord and live each moment in His perfect will for us (Ephesians 2:10; Proverbs 3:5-6). The Body of Christ is too busy for its own good. We neglect our Lord and one another, because we make our own personal pursuits more important than God’s will for our life (1 Peter 4:10; Ephesians 2:10).
With our busy church and personal schedules, the government took over so many of our 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. Elderly Saints, who ministered for the Lord all their life, still need and deserve our attention.
We can offer rides to doctor appointments, make personal visits, take someone out to lunch, send cards, make phone calls, and pray for one another. These are just a few ways that we can minister to our elderly as well as every member of our church body as the Lord leads us. It takes a small amount of our time and relieves others of having to serve alone.
Parents are so busy 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 do not give their children and youth leaders credit for their dedication to God. However, we influence eternity by our service to children.
Single parents need the most help. We can babysit to give these parents a chance to allow their Inner Child to play. Gifting these hardworking parents with a certificate to go out to eat or to buy whatever they need at a retail store is also helpful on their tight budget.
Many churches end up hiring people for the nursery or as the children’s ministry director to have someone committed to the children, since very few people will faithfully minister as a volunteer. Our children need Godly authority, responsibility, approval, and nurturing in the same way which God relates to us (John 3:16; Romans 5:8).
If we all band together, the care required in these vital ministries will not be a burden on any one person. It will be a blessing for everyone involved (Romans 15:7). We can make time for God and His Body as a priority in our schedule. While living and walking by the Spirit, we will all function as a valuable member of the Body of Christ (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 and the ability to recognize body language in order to be present with one another, rather than taking each other for granted or half-heartedly listening to one another as one of us shares our personal “story.” Help us to learn to listen to each other patiently and fully, so we can make one another feel safe when sharing our issues. This enables us to bear each other's burdens as You expect us to do (Galatians 6:2).
Thought for the Day:
If Satan can keep us in bondage to our failures, he cripples us in our service to God and His Body; as we learn to care for and to forgive our self, we will have an increased ability to accept, nurture, affirm, and forgive one another; it is vitally important that we take church ministries seriously and offer to help in any area in which we feel called by God to serve.
- Mark 12:30-31
