When we say “church” we talk about people

We need to understand that the Church of Christ is all about relationships. Everyone knows that the Church is not bricks and mortar, buildings and structures, laws and traditions.  When we say “church” we talk about people. 

The New Testament word for Church means "the called out ones."  The Church is made up of Christians. The Church is all of us who love the Lord and love his work. In the Church, we are related to one another based on our love for the Lord.

It is a relationship based on an understanding of who we are in relation to each other.

Rom 12: 3: For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.

There always is a danger to think of ourselves more highly than we ought and there is also the danger of not thinking of ourselves as highly as we ought.  Our opinion of ourselves ought not to be too high or too low. It ought to be an opinion based on what God has done in our lives and on what God’s calling means in our lives.  We need to desire for our lives what God’s idea is for us and what place and role God has given us in his work.

We think too much of ourselves when we assume that we received a gifting that we do not have, or believe we should play a role that God has not given to us.   On the other hand if we think too little of ourselves and if we do not recognise the gift of God in us,  we do not serve according to Gods calling and equipping of us. 

All our spiritual gifts and talents are necessary and important for God’s work. And we are responsible to each other and we are accountable to each other to get the work done. We need each other to accomplish what the Lord intended for us personally and communally.  When we are lazy in the work God gave us, the serving of one another suffers. We have to exercise our gift that God has given us.  This is how God wants to make a congregation strong.

Let’s build each other up in faith, in love and in enthusiasm. Let’s serve the Lord joyfully in his Church community!