Count on me

Hey church (wherever you gather with a local body, your pastor would say “amen” to this):

Whether it’s a church gathering, class, small group, prayer meeting, or event – before you decide to participate or not participate in something based on what you’d get out of it or whether you “feel” like attending…

…I’d challenge you to consider that it shouldn’t only be about what you want or need out of it but maybe about what you can share or what someone in your household may need or should be sharing.

As a member of the body of Christ, your responsibility is to the whole body, not yourself. Think about the organs of your own body. Nearly all the organs of the body protect, nurture, fight infection, and supply the needs of the other organs…HARDLY AN ORGAN IN THE BODY IS PURPOSED TO SERVE ITSELF. Your body NEEDS you and you NEED them.

Hear what I’m saying…not what I’m not saying. That’s not to say that you should go to EVERYTHING and participate in EVERY ministry and group. That’d be ludicrous and impossible. That’s not to say that you should show up ill and spread disease or that you should abandon your family in a moment of crisis. Again, that’s just stupid.

What I’m suggesting is this, if God has intentionally connected you to the church body, then you should be consistently and actively participating in the things designed for the whole church body. If God has intentionally connected you to a Group/Missional Community, then you should be consistently and actively participating in the things designed for that Group. If God has intentionally connected you to a Ministry Team, same…so on and so forth. You get the gist.

If you’ve said “I’m in…count on me” to the church, to a Group, or to a Ministry Team, then that’s exactly what should be received from you, whether you think you want to or need to be there or not.