VOLUNTEER
Does my church really need me or my acts of service?
I assembled the exile at the Ahava Canal, and we camped there for three days while I went over the lists of the people and the priests who had arrived. I found that not one Levite had volunteered to come along.
Ezra 8:15
Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ's Body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. In His Grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well.
Romans 12:4-6
Our Takeaway
Ezra's progress back to Jerusalem was halted while he waited to recruit Levites. God had called these men to a special service, yet none had been willing to volunteer when their service were needed. God has gifted each of us with specific abilities so that we can make a contribution to His Kingdom work. Don't wait to be recruited; rather, look for opportunities to volunteer. Don't withhold the gift He's given you.
God's Promise
God has given each of us a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another... Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 4:10-11
Big T's Thought To Ponder
I remember the day our youth pastor first approached me about sharing my testimony in front of an Upward Sports football game, and something or somebody inside me said, "sure, absolutely, love to". Within a minute a fear and nervousness came over me, as i thought to myself - "what in the world were you thinking when you said yes you big dummy!" Satin brought this fear and doubt.
Or the time my pastor asked if I would fill in for one of his Wednesday bible studies, without thinking, again an immediate, "yes"! And again, my next thought was, why do you keep saying "yes" and putting yourself through this self-inflicted trauma. My study was on the Holy Spirit and I was tremendously blessed in preparing it.
Through this study on the Holy Spirit I learned about our spiritual gifts and why we are blessed with them, who the Holy Spirit is and what His attributes are. God also revealed to me that we are never alone during our time of service or anytime for that matter. I learned the that Holy Spirit is our Helper; our Guide and our Comforter and that we never have to be fearful of service and stepping out of our comfort zones.
I realized through the study of scripture; God's revelation and obedience, that we are all called to serve in some way and that we will always have a choice to say, "Yes", or to decline with a "No" and never have the opportunity to use the spiritual gifts we have been blessed with.
God has personally called, gifted, equipped and empowered each one of us to serve one another in building up the Body of Christ and to Glorify Him. We are all called to be Kingdom Builders, He is counting on each one of us. Don't let satin rob you of the joy of service...
Mark 10:43-45
