One of the devastating effects the devil is having upon the Church (Believers in Christ) today is that many are remaining in their comfort zone. Many Christians today simply go to a worship service each week to hear the Word of God, but do not go out in to their neighbourhood to witness, or encourage the broken-hearted, or be used as a vessel for His glory. A lot of Christians think that this is the job of a Pastor, the elders or the “evangelist”.
Complacency is one of the devastating tools the devil uses against Gods people. Many people often feel like they are vulnerable or inadequate because of their lack of physical abilities or perhaps a lack of education. When they feel like that and believe it, they are believing the lies of the devil himself. There are many elderly members in our church and it devastates my soul to hear them say, “I am too old”!! If that were so, why would God continue to keep you alive?
As long as God is keeping you alive, you remain useful as a precious tool for Him and for His purpose. If they are too old to pray or make intercession, than there is a definite problem!! Many people feel inadequate because they do not take part in the leadership of the Church. These people often feel insecure because they think they are of little use. That is the lie of the devil making many people think this way.
Notice what it says in 1 Cor 12:12-26 when God compares the physical body to the spiritual body of Christ. In verse 23,24 it says: “The parts that we think are less honorable, we treat with special honor, and the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it.”
In the eyes of God, no matter who you are, you are valuable in the sight of God and can be used most effectively if you desire to be used by Him. No matter how talented you are or how insignificant you may see yourself, each member of the body are able to be used most effective
for His cause, because it is the power of Christ who lives within us enables us to do His work in the first place. For without Christ, no man can do anything (John 15:5). For God also admonishes people not to rush to be a spiritual leader or a teacher of the Word because of the great
responsibility they have, and those who have received much, much will be required of him (Luke 12:48).
As I was considering the members of the body, I considered the many tiny hairs on my arms. If one were to compare themselves to a tiny piece of hair and see their insignificance amongst many of those tiny hairs, it was these hairs collectively that often prevented my arms from getting a sunburn. So, it is therefore safe to say that when anyone feels insignificant in the body of Christ, rebuke this lie of the devil because you may be called to pray for someone and save them from being harmed by your faithful prayers. If it weren’t for the tiny hairs along the blood vessel called capillaries, the blood would not be able to flow upwards.
So in other words, what you may think is insignificant is highly valuable in order to maintain a spiritual healthy body. Could you imagine if no one wanted to be a janitor or a cleaner, but everyone wanted to be an elder, or someone in authority? It is like having a body with many mouths, and no feet or hands, etc. The building itself would become littered with dust balls and debris. Therefore, God has given them honor in His sight because He has called different people to different areas in ministry to create that perfect body (the Church) for His ultimate glory. The elderly, the infants, the mentally challenged, the physically challenged are precious in the sight of God and each one of these people including many others are highly valuable in His sight and are able to be most useful for His purpose if you choose to believe it and ask Him.
The greatest handicap we have is often believing the lies of the devil who would make us believe that we are nothing. You can turn that thought around and say to the devil: “thank you for reminding me of this devil, for I am nothing without Christ, but with Christ, I have all I need”. We in ourselves can do nothing without Christ, so no matter who you are, the One who lives in you is able to make you most effective and useful to keep the body of Christ spiritually healthy. All we need to do is choose to believe of who we are in Christ. The works of us is simply to believe in the One whom the Father has sent (John 6:29).
Remember, a small piece of metal may be all it takes to keep a wagon from coming to a sudden crash. You may feel like that insignificant metal piece, but it is a vital part of the structure of the wagon if it is to operate at all. So are each of you vital in the sight of God and useful to do His good and perfect will.
Love to you in Christ.
Richard Poulin