I have been doing a lot of thinking lately. There are so many things that have challenged me since my trip to India! Like, what is our purpose? What is God calling me to do? What are we doing with what we have? How can we be better stewards of what God has given us?
The interesting thing is that many others are also pondering the same questions. God is putting exactly the same scripture verses, passages, words, on the hearts of MANY. My anticipation grows as I see things building and it is exciting to know that great things are coming! Isn't it interesting that God can set things up ALL by Himself?! :) That he does not require our help to orchestrate His plan? I love it.
One thing I remarked on today as we travelled about to various activities was this: We are gifted people! God has put us here, as Christians, for very specific purposes with very individual callings and gifting. And those gifts have a 2-fold purpose: To edify the Church, and to expand the Kingdom. There is no other reason why you exist, in my opinion. Jesus said we are to Love the Lord, and love our neighbours. How can we do this? By using all of who He made us to be!!
I wonder what this would actually look like. I wonder how our churches would function if we were all actually walking this out. Because, sadly, I do not think we are. What would the church look like if we were truly each stepping into our callings, exercising our gifts to edify and expand?? And these gifts do not all need to be exercised solely in the church building! The Capital C Church, the Church of North America, the Church of the world, is what I am talking about.
Jesus told us that we would do greater things than He. (John 14:12). Do you know why? Because He was one person, walking in the Spirit, doing what He saw His father doing. And WE are MANY, walking in the Spirit, doing what we see our Father doing! Our power is exponentially greater because we are MANY, working as the Church, for the Kingdom!
What will that look like? What will it look like in YOUR area, in your church? It will not and can not be the same across the board. We are not carbon-copy people. But it must look like SOMETHING.
And SOMETHING may be uncomfortable for others. It may challenge the "way we've always done it". It might actually start to look like the early church did, where disciples were sent out, empowered by Jesus' teaching and later the Holy Spirit, to edify and expand.
What if people got so busy working for the Kingdom that they could no longer attend church programs?
Can we only spread the Kingdom within the walls of the church? Will people be released to GO?
What if people stepping into their purposes would mean others have to share theirs?
Is there only one person in any congregation capable of leading, encouraging, teaching, helping, serving?
What if by gripping so tightly to your calling you hold others back from stepping into theirs?
What if we were all able to work together, to encourage each other, to build each other up as fellow disciples of Christ, and to help each other to walk out our purposes?
What would the Kingdom look like then?
to expand the Kingdom, and edify the Church,
One day at a time,
Darcie.
