Can't Do It Alone
written by: Rev. Dr. Scott Paczkowski
“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.”
Thank goodness everyone is not just like me. If that were the case, humans would have never moved out of the cave. I study hard and am blessed with opportunities to expand my study of theology, history, and spiritual and church growth. Yet, relying on me to build something, grow anything, or fix something would cause the world to shut down. If someone is hurt and bleeding, I would pass out before I could keep them from passing out from loss of blood. If one of those post-apocalyptic movies ever comes true, I would be no help.
Thankfully, we are not all alike. Working daily in the Church, I am constantly amazed at the diversity of gifts and skills people possess. One of the many reasons I love the ministry is I enjoy watching peoples' minds work. We can struggle to make a mission activity work, and I can watch two different people come to a solution in two totally different ways, both of which can be successful. Each individual's background, education, experience, and God-given ability all guide a person's ability to make productive change.
The key to making effective change is trusting, learning from, and bringing people together. Then, people can bring their uniqueness together by modeling mutual respect and listening skills. Two good, separate ideas are often not as good as two good ideas brought together and molded into one great idea. From the bottom of my heart, I believe this is what God also wants.
The role of the Church is to move individuals from good to great, bringing them together for greatness. When intelligent, hardworking people work together, along with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the potential for significant and lasting change can be a reality. Separately, each of us is extremely limited, but together, we have the capacity to move mountains.
Today, pray for the Christian Church and our congregation. Pray that each Church's people respond to each other with respect, trust, and mutuality. Pray that God shows you the unique potential and God-given skills that those around you possess. Finally, pray that God will bind us ever closer together so that we may experience the priceless joy of working together and doing meaningful ministry in God's holy name.
