Wednesday, June 12, 2013

We Realize God Calls Us to Body-Life, Part 1

Scripture: Exodus 18:14-16
Now when Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, "What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge and all the people stand about you from morning until evening?"  Moses said to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to inquire of God. "When they have a dispute, it comes to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor and make known the statutes of God and His laws."

Insights:  Monday I referenced a fairly lengthy quote from John Calvin.  Let me pick that quote up here to help us understand this second point a little better.  Calvin wrote, “Here, too, it is worth while to remark, that no single mortal can be sufficient to do everything, however many and various may be the endowments wherein he excels. . . . Let, then, God’s servant learn to measure carefully their powers, lest they should wear out, by ambitiously embracing too many occupations. . . . let us learn that in the human race God has so arranged our condition, that individuals are only endued with a certain measure of gifts, on which the distribution of office depends.”  What Calvin was saying as well as Jethro to Moses was if we do all the work ourselves, we are going to wear ourselves out.  Now I want you to know that Moses did not have an elitist mindset as some people do.  In other words, he was not doing things by himself because he thought he was the only one capable of doing the work.  I believe his heart and his words reflect his ignorance to what a burden he was creating.  He had not considered the codependent relationship he was developing with the people.  The same thing must be overcome by the church of the twenty-first century as well.  Pastors are not supposed to do all the work.  If they do, then they are creating the same codependent relationship that Moses had been developing.  In the end that is not a healthy outcome for anyone.  Tomorrow we are going to look more closely at the area of giftedness that was already in place and talk in more depth about the gift(s) God has given you.  For God has indeed gifted you for the work of ministry.  Our lives are to reflect the glory of God to a world desperate for His love through our giftedness.

Questions:
  1. How has God equipped you to work within the Body of Christ?
  2. Are you using your gift(s) to bring glory to God?
Prayer: Father, thank You that You have endowed me with gift(s) to be used in Your service.  Grow me in these areas and allow me to be the most effective I can be for You.  Amen.


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