"..."I don't need you!" On the contrary..."
1 Corinthians 12:21b-22a (HCSB)
As we look at this picture of baby ducks, we see that one duck is different/unique/one of a kind and it is not in the group with the others...have you ever felt this way? Many people, especially Christians that your path will cross today, are feeling this way! The Good News is that God knew this would happen so He GAVE His Word to equip us in The Body of Christ. The truth is that EVERY Christian is able to learn how they are Gifted2Go and specific ways to make sure that they have opportunities to serve in their giftedness!
1 Corinthians chapter 12 is full of great wisdom about Spiritual Giftedness given by God. Please take some time to read this small but powerful chapter. The chapter begins (verses 1-11) with teaching about the uniqueness and the use of what God created through the different Spiritual Gifts that He has given to EVERY CHRISTIAN for specific purposes in The Body of Christ! The middle and end of chapter 12 teaches about the importance of each member of The Body of Christ working together and the importance of INCLUDING each one in the privilege of knowing Christ and sharing Christ!
This brings me to the point of my words today. In the last few weeks I have had many Christian women share with me how brokenhearted they are because they do not believe there is a place for them to serve in the local church. After much prayer God has laid it on my heart that there is a stronghold, a trap from the enemy, to DEFEAT the unique way that God created The Body of Christ to effectively work together with unity with each one serving God in the giftedness He created each one uniquely! If the enemy can not stop the local church, he sure will do anything he can to cause it to be fractured or ineffective...
Women that are in leadership roles in The Body of Christ must be very careful about decisions they make. It may be "easier" to get things done if the same women are invited to serve over and over, BUT what kind of message is that sending to those that may be new to the church, or those that are hoping to be invited/included to be a part of using their gifts to serve the Lord?
Questions are good to use as ministries are evaluated day by day, week by week, month by month, or year by year...There is an important question that leaders should ask themselves when organizing every evangelistic women's ministry gathering of any kind (purpose driven ministry). It is important to have a clear goal of a balanced ministry (Discipleship-Missions-Evangelism) in order to include EVERY gift and EVERY woman that is in The Body of Christ; this question could be something like this, "Have we invited every woman in our church (Body of Christ) to be a part of what God is doing, and what are some specific ways to make sure that everyone is included or recruited?" Balanced ministry leadership will lead to opportunities for every woman receiving the message that they are needed in some way to use their giftedness that is given by God for service!
Let's think about all the many things that need to be done at each gathering of women, here are just a few of the things that women can be asked to do: pray, teach God's word, reach-out to the unchurched or left-out and invite, encourage, organize, follow-up, name tags, decorate, make sure that The Good News is shared in someway at each gathering...and the list goes on!
The 12th Chapter of 1 Corinthians always reminds me of a city-wide event that God gave me the privilege to organize many years ago. In leadership preparation, I studied this chapter of God's Word and the rich text that helped me to take a huge group of women and help each one of them find their place of service, it was amazing to see how God took each gifted woman and found a place for them to serve! There was something for EVERYONE of them to do as each one of them as Christians has at least one gift given by God to SHARE and SERVE HIM with for The Glory of God...God raised up over 200 women to serve on the organizing team as this event was organized. And most of all many women came to know Jesus as their Lord & Savior and many Christian women experienced a life-changing touch from God's Word being shared!
So let's ask ourselves, especially if you are a woman in leadership, "When is the last time you have been given the message "you are not needed" in The Body of Christ?" "What does that feel like?" and most of all "How can we make sure we have plans in place so that no one feels like their gift is not needed?" If we fail to plan we are planning on failing to fulfill God's unique way He created The Body of Christ to make sure everyone has opportunities to use the way that He has made every Christian GIFTED2GO!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAWeHo8E70E&feature=related (If We Are The Body by Casting Crowns)
"...each has his own gift from God, one this and another that."
1 Corinthians 7:7b
"So the eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" nor again the head to the feet, "I don't need you!" On the contrary, all the more , those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are necessary..."
1 Corinthians 12:21-22
