Too Much for One Person 
This devotional was written by Leslie Snyder

But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.  If they were all one part, where would the body be?  As it is, there are many parts but one body.— 1 Corinthians 12: 18–20 (NIV)

In the state of Washington, nestled near the base of Mt. Rainer between towering mountains and trees, sits the Mt. Rainier Dining Co.  The converted passenger car has long since retired from riding the rails and now sits alongside the highway inviting hungry travelers to stop in for “Good Food, Cheap!”  Intrigued by the invitation, my husband and I stopped there for dinner after hiking in the mountains one afternoon. A few minutes went by before a woman appeared in the doorway welcoming us to the restaurant.  After seating us, she brought us our drinks, and proceeded to take our order.  Then, the realization came to us quickly:  we were the only guests in the entire restaurant, and the woman was the only employee on hand.  After taking our orders, this woman went back into the kitchen, prepared our meals, served them, and finally, cleared the table and cleaned up after us when we were finished eating.  It was honestly one of the strangest experiences we’ve ever had. 

This experience reminds me of too many churches.  It’s common that in many churches, a few people do all the work.  In fact, it has long been said that 20% of the people in a church do 80% of the work.  Today’s Scripture passage describes God’s plan for the Church and serves as a powerful call to God’s people to return to His design.  In chapter 12, verse 7 Paul states, “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.”  He goes on in verses 12, “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.” If you carefully read 1 Corinthians 12, you will see that God has gifted each believer and that that gift is to be used for the good of the faith community.

Successfully operating a restaurant is too much work for one person. Similarly, being the church as God designed it requires teamwork with each of us doing our parts. Today, as you see needs in your own local church and community, realize that God has gifted you to be a part of the team – and the team needs your participation!

GOING DEEPER:

  1. Identify one tangible way you can use the gifts God has given you to serve your church and/or community. 
  2. Ask yourself, “Am I serving out of my giftedness or out of obligation?”  Keep serving in the area of giftedness and let go of the areas of obligation.

FURTHER READING:
1 Corinthians 12:1-31; Ephesians 6:7-8  

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