Will Only a Part Do?

As seen in the  "The Heartbeat" and published in the Hot Springs Village Voice

When is the last time you walked into an automobile dealership, found the car or truck of your liking and said, "I’ll take that one, but I don’t want the engine?" Or maybe you preferred to have the front seats or back glass removed? How about just having the rearview mirror taken out? All these statements are ludicrous. You wouldn’t just buy half a car, now would you?

Another example would be building a house. What type of a look do you think the builder would give you if you said, "We love the plans, but we don’t need a roof!" There are few parts of a house which are more essential than a roof and we need a good one to protect us from the elements.

Wholeness is something we need in our lives, whether it’s a car, a house, and yes even a church. God has established His covenant of grace through Jesus Christ, and upon Him built the church. When we become part of His family, we receive a "welcome" gift. This gift is ours, but it is given for a purpose – to use in and build up the church, His church.

Many times, we hear people saying, "I feel like God has led us to this church." We smile and think it’s so nice. But consider this: God leads people to a specific church for a specific reason! He knows the gift or gifts we have received because He gave them to us! He leads us where the use of His gifts are needed! None of us have exactly the same gift, but all are equally important and play a vital role in the church, not matter how insignificant we may think the gift is, like a rearview mirror in a car.

Earlier this year I had shoulder reconstruction surgery. For five weeks my arm was in one of those special slings which completely immobilized by arm. I had to learn to dress myself using one hand, eat using my non-dominant hand (which was really messy initially), and many other daily tasks. You see, it is easy to accomplish tasks when we have our whole body working together. Take away one of the parts, and things do not run so smooth, if at all!

God wants His church to be healthy, vibrant, alive, and whole. To be whole, we must be willing to use our gifts together, as a puzzle fits together to make a beautiful picture just as the creator of the puzzle intended. The only true way we can be all this is to be "Whole in One," and the One is our Savior, Jesus Christ. Honor Him with your gifts, the gifts given to you and you alone, because you are special to Him.

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