What if told you that you had a personalized spot to play for the winning team in the ultimate showdown of all time? Well, as it turns out, serving in the local church looks a lot like that.
“God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display His wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.” –Ephesians 3:20
Since defeating the enemy once and for all, God has spent thousands of years building a church—a people, much like a team—who represent Him in the largest arena of all existence. It is designed with diversity, supercharged with love and passion, and is able to reflect His character throughout the entire world. And I’m here to tell you that there is a place on His team carved out for each of us that is suited for our exact mix of gifts, talents, and personality.
Whether you’re on the sidelines, have a jersey but don’t feel like a part of the team, or need to be reminded of why you do what you do, here are three keys to getting in the game:
- Place Value in What You’re Doing. Most athletes are into their sport or craft because they truly believe it matters. If God’s Kingdom is eternal, and we are helping others spend eternity with Jesus when we use our gifts on a ministry team, then how much more valuable is that? We have the opportunity to make an eternal impact every time we step out and ask God to take all our talents and the way He created us and use us to make Him famous.
- Have a Desire to Win. It’s a pretty universal concept that winning feels awesome. Even the least competitive spirits can admit that victory tastes sweet. When we take part in helping others know Jesus and know who they are created to become in Him, it’s a win. As we see multitudes come to know Him and churches exponentially grow as more and more people are added to the team, the celebrations are through the roof––both here on earth and in Heaven! Our God has won it all, and now He invites us in right here and now to share in the triumphs of the winning team.
- Leverage Your Passion. There is a unique mix of gifts and talents wired into the fabric of who you were created to be. Those gifts are all designed to operate in conjunction with the local church. By joining your gift with mine, and our gifts with theirs, we become a team that has everything we need to thrive. What’s your passion? If you don’t yet know, as God to help show you those things you’re gifted for. As we invest our God-given gifts into His mission and purpose, His Spirit inside us coaches us to greatness. You don’t have to know how to use your gifts fully right now, just plug them into a church and watch them electrify.
It’s part of our purpose here on earth to be actively serving in a church as we live out our purpose and lead others to Christ. When we operate in that, it can look a lot like a top notch athlete playing for a winning team—in their zone, totally unstoppable, and loving life.
Perhaps this is a totally new concept to you—that’s okay! Talk to someone at a local church that is thriving and healthy about how you can get involved. Maybe you’ve tried before and been hurt in the process. I would encourage you today to ask God to heal those wounds, point you in the right direction to a ministry team that He would have you serve with, and then pull that God-jersey out of your closet, dust it off, and try again. And if you’re actively a part of serving in the church, then that’s awesome. Ask God to show you someone who needs a little push from a friend to get involved too and bring them alongside you. If we are all created to find fulfillment in living out our God-given purpose, and that is done by helping others know Jesus by using our gifts in the church, then it’s all too important to leave ourselves or anyone around us on the sidelines. So let’s get in the game!