Thursday, November 06, 2008

IS ANYBODY IN THE CHURCH WORKING?

Ah, yet another mistake I made in my earlier years of ministry! How many were there? Countless!

Today's topic revolves around my lack of vision. I thought the only work going on in the church was the work I knew about. Ignorant? Oh....like maybe a lot?

The reason I bring it up is such an attitude is easy to accept still today. However the body is comprised of a lot of cells (believers) in many places.....globally. Right now millions of orphans have homes because faithful Christians have provided shelter. Much is going on. Right now teens, and convicts, and husbands and wives, and homeless, and military personnel are studying about life in Christ and are about to be baptized. Hundreds; maybe thousands.

I can't imagine the amount of money given by the total body in one week's time. Over a year? It must blow imagination's gasket. How many missionaries are supported? How many does God have? How many retired make transcontinental trips to offer medical treatment or hold an abandoned child in their arms?

The size of the body of Christ is more the size of God than our puny measurement. When I thought the only thing getting done in the church was the stuff I knew about? Well, I was simply living quite vainly one more time.

What a God! If we could know of 10% of His work going on about us every day, we would probably pass out in amazement. Live big! Love big! God is at work....in His coworkers....us!

4 comments:

Terry Laudett said...

This was a very good reminder that the vast majority of the work done by the church is done without programs or organization. Not that there is anything necessarily wrong with programs or organization, but most of our most effective work is done by Christians simply living lives of faith and love.

Jimmy Clare said...

Thanks Terry..
It is nice to know I
haven't been the only one
with that blind view of
the Church.
I sometimes feel like the
blind man who saw people as
trees - getting clearer but
not there yet!

JC

Anonymous said...

I don't think very much work is realy done. My neighbor doesn't do much--she's a good person but her work for the Lord? She told me this morning, her devotion to God prompted her to fix a lunch for her son, who went to hear some traveling rabbi. You're gonna tell me that packing a lunchbox of sardines and crackers for your kid is doing the work of God???

Terry Rush said...

Anonymous,

It took me a bit to get what you said. When I did, "Wahoo!"

Thank you!