Sometimes, a simple event in life can teach you a powerful lesson. Or it can underscore important biblical truths. I had such an experience several years ago. It underscored the importance of individual church involvement.
I started showing symptoms of what turned out to be a bad cold. At least that’s what I say it was. I had it all: coughing like crazy, the chills, light-headedness, runny nose, constant nose-blowing, etc. The first three days, I lost several pounds. Being 6 feet tall and skinny already, I did not need to lose any weight. But I was so preoccupied with dealing with the symptoms of my illness that eating was not my priority.
Furthermore, I had lost my sense of taste because of the cold. From what little I have read, this is normally due to congestion and inflammation of one’s nasal passages. Having a healthy sense of taste might seem like a minor thing. We tend to take it for granted because it seems like an automatic thing. It’s only when we temporarily lose that ability that we realize how important it is.
Who can get excited about eating food when food doesn’t taste like food?
About four days into my bout with the cold, I felt I was beginning to regain my sense of taste for food. So, my wife and I went to the mall’s food court, and I bought one of my favorite sandwiches. I tell you, a buffalo chicken sub never tasted so good as it did that day. From that point on, my appetite began to grow so I could properly fuel my body. The members of my body were now working together more effectively to fight my infirmity.
Why Your Church Needs Your Involvement
You may be saying, what does that have to do with individual church involvement. Well, think about your sense of taste. It plays an important role for your body. But you don’t pay that sense any attention until you lose it. Only in its absence do you realize how important it is.
In a similar way, every believer is a member of the body of Christ and is relevant to the proper function of a local Christian community. We tend to pay attention to the more visible members of the local church, such as preachers, teachers, and musicians. We may take for granted those believers who have less visible ministry gifts and abilities. But the church involvement of every member matters.
By church involvement, I mean involvement into the work that the Lord has called the church to do. He has imparted ability to every member of the body to effectively contribute to that work. Every true believer has something relevant to offer.
You may feel that because no one recognizes what you do or don’t do, it makes no difference. Nothing can be further from the truth. Every bona fide member of the body who shuns church involvement negatively impacts the overall health of the local church. Furthermore, in the eyes of God, all of us are equally necessary:
“God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care one for another.”
1 Corinthians 12:24-25, NASB
So, what is your commitment to church involvement at the place you attend to worship?
Copyright© 2023 by Frank King. All rights reserved.