IT’S NOT MY JOB
Recently, I was walking around the
grounds of the church with a member talking about some things that needed to be
done when the individual emphatically responded, “That’s not my Job!” I was shocked at the response; however, my
belief is that every member in any church has a duty and a responsibility for
Kingdom building. If involvement is not a high priority on a member’s list as
it relates to ministry, then that member should rethink his purpose and God’s
purpose for his life.
As a child growing up, I distinctly
remember two men whose ministry was parking cars for the church members who arrived
for worship service. Because the church
was in the county, there were no marked lines for the cars to park, so the
members needed the assistance of these two men who used whistles and flags to provide
direction. Needless to say, these men
took their assignments very seriously. They
were not Bible scholars, nor did they participate in Church School, or come
inside of the church to worship. They would
often listen to the worship service through the windows. While this may seem
like meager service to some, these men’s gesture was genuine and they made a
very important contribution to Kingdom building.
When we come to church, isn’t it
nice to have the lights already turned on? Most people like coming to church. We should be glad that we have in place worship
leaders, teachers, and others who take leadership roles in various ministries seriously. Yes, it takes a lot to run a church. Some people will see trash on the pews or
floors and instead of removing it, they will say, “It’s not my job!” The truth of the matter is the church cannot
afford to have members with the mindset of, “It is not my job!” Each and every
one of us has an important role in building God’s church.
Paul sets forth by saying in the
book of Ephesians 4:11-12, “And he gave some apostles, and some as prophets,
and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of
the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ.” He describes in these verses the equippers;
those that help prepare others for service.
It is the equippers who prepare individuals to become volunteers in
church ministry. Volunteers make up the vast majority of individuals who serve and
help the church fulfill its purpose of the perfecting of the saints.
Each of us has an important role
with an important purpose which produces important results. We do not belong to
the church just because we worship in a nice edifice. We belong to the church because we are in the
Body of Christ, and it is our responsibility to help others grow in Christ. Then the church can be a strong influence in
the world.
The body grows when we all work and
function according to God’s plan! When everyone is willing to go above and
beyond the call of duty, then everything that needs to be done which improves
the body of Christ becomes our job - even if it is parking cars or picking up
trash.
