We have all heard the statistics on the obesity epidemic in
America. Junk food, fast food, DVR, and video games are among the greatest
culprits. The widespread belief is America needs to get off the couch and eat
their greens- organic over processed, the gym over the TV. Fad diets come and
go but it seems to be the ultimate answer is eat right and exercise.
What about obesity in the church?
We are well fed, no famished stomachs here- but how are we exerting the energy that this food provides?
1 Corinthians 8:1 “Knowledge puffs up, love builds up.”
How is the church exercising these
days? Sure, plenty of mega-churches offer gym memberships, but I’m not talking
strictly physical. We tend to eat and eat, attending service upon service,
filling ourselves. Good. Now let’s do something with all that energy.
During a gathering of believers in the back room of a bar in
the square of Gainesville, Allison Johnston got a word. A good word.
TRANSFERENCE
She saw the image of a toy top spinning and spinning, completely losing control, banging into walls back and forth, back and
forth, until it finally came crashing to the ground.
She said the toy top represented us in that room.
As we worshipped, we sang, lifted our hands, danced around,
but something was wrong. Spirit-filled, absolutely, but we were keeping our
gifts inside, to ourselves. As she explained this, I pictured a giant balloon
being filled with more and more air until it finally bursts. That’s what we
were about to do to ourselves if we didn’t stop and do something about it.
Allison challenged us to each raise our hands when she
called out a spiritual gift that we possess. A thick discomfort arose in the room. This is where I believe the church is
being completely crippled by false modesty. These gifts are from God and meant
to be shared. May we boast in that!!!
Intercessors, raise your hands.
People of great faith, raise your hands.
Prophetic voices, prophetic worshipers, and so on.
Each time a group raised their hands, anyone looking to
receive from those people were directed to go to them, be under their hand as
they sent up whispers and shouts to God. Intercessors prayed, prophets prophesied.
Being politically correct often means keeping your faith to
yourself. Today’s society believes more in personal faith and discovery than
communal fellowship. But that is not what the Christian church is about. We are
about Jesus. We are about love. We are about community. And community cannot
thrive alongside “mind your own business” attitudes or personal relative truths.
What good are these things if we hold onto to them, fattened by our own apathy? What purpose do they serve?
That night, the church had a workout. The church warmed up,
stretched and exercised her gifts with one another for the glory of God.
Through that came breakthroughs, discoveries and lots of joy. And I mean a lot of joy.
“When you come together, each of you has a
hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything
must be done so that the church may be built up.”
1 Corinthians 14:26
What are your spiritual gifts? How are you using them to build up the church and bring the Kingdom?
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