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).
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 churches.
Elderly Saints, who ministered for
the Lord all of their life, need and deserve our attention. Rides to doctor
appointments, visits, taking someone out to lunch, cards, phone calls and
praying for one another are just a few ways that we can minister to our elderly.
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 give their children and
youth leaders credit for their dedication to God. We influence eternity by our
service to children now.
However, 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.
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
in order to have someone committed to the children, since very few people will
commit to this ministry. 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, but
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. Before we do anything, we consult the Lord
and live each moment in His perfect will for us (Ephesians 2:10). While living
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 gives 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. Help us to make one another feel
safe to share our issues with each other, so we can bear each others 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
nurture and forgive our self, we will have an increased ability to accept,
nurture, affirm and forgive one another.
- Mark 12:30-31
