Play Your Part

Are there some ways in which you have been annoyed by people not playing their part either at home, in the office or in the neighborhood? One of the ways in which families thrive is when everyone plays their part and brings their unique contribution. Yet there are people who just don’t play their part.

God wants big things for us as a family. But those things will not happen unless each one of us plays their part. Each of us has been designed to achieve something and to be significant in one way or another. The problem is that although we want to achieve something, sometimes we want to achieve this without hard work.

Thankfully the Bible tells how we can thrive as a family as we each play our part.

Read Matthew 25:14-29

What do we learn from this passage about thriving as the family of God? The master entrusted some money to each of his servants according to their abilities. He expected them to invest it and to earn returns. Those who invested it and got a return were entrusted with more, presumably greater responsibilities. But then we come to the third guy in verse 24 he did not invest anything. But notice the words the master uses to rebuke the third guy …

“That’s a terrible way to live! It’s criminal to live cautiously like that” [The Message]

There were no guarantees that the other two were going to double the investment they had made. In other words if one of the servants had invested money and lost some or all of it, they would still have been praised for their faithfulness.

Why would the third guy have buried his money in the ground instead of investing it?

Actually the reason is in the passage: I was afraid to I would lose your money. It sounds reasonable doesn’t it?

The third servant took the path of least resistance. He didn’t want to do the work of connecting with people who were not like him. He was comfortable doing what he had always done. Like many of us, he wanted to be settler; not an explorer or pioneer. Human nature longs for the safe place.

Where else in life do we see people withdrawing from investing?

Many of us are not active participants in our neighborhoods, schools and other community organizations.

The problem with this third guy is that he didn’t see what was in it for him if he engaged. That is our problem as well. This guy just wanted to be safe. The problem with being safe is that you don’t see the many ways in which you could benefit.

Serving is the breeding ground for greatness!

1. Grow in your love for God: The biblical prophets urged their audiences to love God with all their heart, mind and strength . Mind, heart and strength are 3 parts of a whole. Love is comprehensive. If you love God only with your mind [cognitive] and do not love God with your heart [ devotion/compassion] and your strength [commitment] your love is incomplete.
2. Grow in your leadership: Many of us aspire to leadership in one area or another. Yet no amount of reading or study, as beneficial as it is, will adequately prepare you to be a great leader. Leadership is on-the-job training. Serving in your family of faith provides you great opportunity for growth. It’s one thing leading a team of people who are paid to do what they do, it is an altogether different ball-game if you can learn to lead volunteers. Envisioning them. Keeping them motivated and happily pulling in one direction.
3. Grow in your Faith When you are faithful and obedient to God, it radically changes your relationship with God. Many things happen when you bring your strengths to the table: Your faith is increased when you pray that God will come through and he does. You begin to see God at work in other people’s lives through your service. You begin to see God serving you even as you serve others (I Cor. 15:58; Hebrews 6:10). You gain real friends that pray with you and for you to accomplish God-sized goals

Serving is the breeding ground for greatness!

This is not a spectator sport! The way I see it the church is full of what Juliani calls “Exponential potential”. That is really what this parable is saying. God has placed something into the hands of everyone in his family. If you roll up your sleeves and serve, if you engage, you grow and as a result we grow. When that happens for every person, we grow exponentially.

It is only as we truly engage in our life as a family here at Mavuno that we can all begin to thrive. And it does not have to take a prescribed form. The different forms of serving are only limited by our imagination. Rolling up your sleeves and serving means bringing the talent, time and treasure you have into contact with the needs we have here in the family of God and then beyond the society all around us. In case you are in this family and have never served I want to encourage you to consider to serving. Here’s how to start:

• Start Small: So you can get over your hesitation. As you go to pick your kids today and in the next few weeks ask what help is needed in Greenhouse: Curriculum development, Crafts, Worship team, Special events e.g. camps, plays, outreach, Snacks Team, Registration/security , Administration, Prayer team, Set-up/set-down/decor team, teaching.
• Find one gap and begin there: Ask the different pastors, ushers and ministry leaders where the gaps are in what needs to be done here at Mavuno.
• Be bold: try something new and be creative.

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