“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.” —1 Corinthians 12:4-6
Over the past few months I’ve seen our membership step up and commit to serving this church at an impressive rate. Not only do we have almost 300 people signed up for H.I.S. Teams, but our estimates show that almost 50% of our average weekly attendees are serving the church in some capacity. As a staff, we praise God for your conviction and willingness to be used!
For those who haven’t yet signed up to serve, I want to challenge you to prayerfully consider doing so. It is my belief (one shared by Pastor Chad) that every person has unique gifts given to them by their creator. I also believe that the church body isn’t complete until every gift is used.
Some may read this and say, “Pastor, you don’t know my situation! I am running at the absolute limit trying to balance work and family life! I don’t have any extra time to give right now!” Let me assure you, I know your situation well—and I want to pray for you!
If you see no availability in for service in your schedule, you’re not alone. I freely admit that this is something I’ve struggled with, and something I’ve hit my knees for many times—asking for wisdom and discernment. It’s also a prayer that God has answered many times! Just be aware that praying this prayer can generate amazing results—opening doors—leading to blessings in unexpected places (like Maryland)!
I will testify that God wants to recenter our lives around Him. He wants to deliver us from the excessive busyness of the day to day. And one of His favorite ways seems to be through service. There are many Biblical imperatives to serve like Jesus did, but we can also find support for service in the writings of Mrs. White. Her council on this topic brings us back to the root purpose of Christianity—sharing the Gospel with others:
“As you seek to draw others within the circle of His love, let the purity of your language, the unselfishness of your service, the joyfulness of your demeanor, bear witness to the power of His grace. —The Ministry of Healing, p. 156
Note the factors that Mrs. White says will draw others to Christ: purity, unselfish service, and joyfulness. Each of these is accomplished in us (as believers) by the grace of God. Because we’ve received these amazing gifts of His grace, we’re called to respond accordingly; living in purity like Jesus, demonstrating the joy of a life lived in Jesus, and yes, serving unselfishly—just like Jesus.
If you’re already serving this church, then on behalf of the pastoral staff, let me say thank you. Conversely, If you’re trapped in the busyness of life and haven’t yet found a place to use your gifts, please know that I am not condemning you! Instead, my goal is (like that of the other staff pastors) to help you to experience the joy that comes from serving not just your local church, but your Father in heaven as well!
[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://spencervillechurch.tempurl.host/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/jas-headshot.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]Jason Lombard is the Associate Pastor for Administration, Media and Communications at Spencerville Church in Silver Spring, Maryland. On Twitter? Follow Jason @jasonrlombard.[/author_info] [/author]