My Quota- as a church member
We are all joined and knit together as the body of Christ and everybody has a unique function to play. Romans 12:4-5 explains, “For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” There are many individual organs in the human body which come together to make one whole. Just as there are many parts in the human body functioning in different ways, the church also has many individual members all working together to make one whole. Together we make up the body Christ. God has given every church member unique gifts, talents, personalities and exposures we are to use for the benefit of the church.
God has called all Christians to be an active part of the body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:27 reads “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it”. When an Individual member fails in using their talents, gifts, exposure and personalities for the benefit of the body of Christ it creates a void. However, Romans 14:12 admonishes that “each of us shall give account of himself to God”. At the end of the race we would individually stand before God give an account of how we used our talents, gifts and abilities for the benefit for the church. We cannot afford to slack behind in the performance of our responsibilities.
Our ultimate responsibility as a Christian and a witness member is to please God and obey his commands. The high calling of every witness member urgently requires that we witness and evangelize. We must be fishers of men, draw people from the streets, corners and highways and compel them to come to the house of the Lord. Evangelism is about sharing God’s word and leading people to Christ.” Witnessing is telling others about the salvation, forgiveness, love, blessings and joy that you have found in Jesus. In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus stressed on these words, “Go then to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples, baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you”. We must preach God’s word and make disciples. We must not only render our service to the church, but we must minister outside the church.
Fellowship is a step of obedience that bridges gaps and breaks down walls. Fellowship with God and fellowship with other believers go together. The bible admonishes us not to forsake the fellowship of the brethren. Regular church attendance is of utmost importance, church is our spiritual home and we must never desert it. It is imperative that we attend church regularly and fellowship with others. Hebrews 10:24-25 says and let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching”. Also, according to your abilities and the area of need in church, we must render our services. There are uncountable areas we can serve in church. It could be serving in the ushering department, joining a praise team or helping with children. There are many other services you can render for the body of Christ like helping new members get accustomed to the church, following up on church members, cleaning, visiting the sick and outreach programs. Jesus promises, “Even if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward”. (Mathew 10:24)
There is always a vacancy in the area of praying ceaselessly for the church. Endless prayer must be made for the church and the body of Christ in our private time. The church would find it difficult to flourish without prayer. We must seek the presence and influence of the Holy spirit through prayer. When the Holy spirit is present with His power, church members are built up and works of darkness are destroyed. As witness members we must channel our youthful fervor into intensive prayer and intercession. When we pray habitually and fervently for the church God remembers our personal prayer request as well.
Bearing each other burdens is our duty as Christians. Galatians 6:2 says “Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”. Bearing each other’s burdens starts with having love for one another. We must weep with those who weep and mourn with those who mourn. We are mandated to watch over each other and help in times of need. Encourage hopes, comfort those who mourn, support the weak and edify one another. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need and practice hospitality as stated in Romans 12:13. Remember we must bear each other’s burdens with meekness, patience and affection. We must also bear with the weakness and failings of others. Offences are inevitable, at times people’s words and actions would leave us depressed, angry and disappointed, insecure, frightened and hurt. We must not indulge in faultfinding and complaining. Despite how many times people wound us, we must keep on loving and forgiving them. To dwell in harmony as the body of Christ means, we must sometimes sacrifice our own feelings.
As the younger generation, we need to tap into the insight and knowledge of the older generation. The older generation can help teach and model godliness in our lives. We should associate with spiritually matured Christians in the church and learn from their experiences in their walk with the Lord. We can take a cue or two from their ministries and service to God. Start somewhere, evangelize whiles walking down the streets, render your service to a department in church, pray for the church and love intensely. 1 Peter 3:8 , “Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.”
