I am sitting in my grandparents condo facing the gorgeous, rough waves hitting the shore here in Alabama. The smell of salt water on the breezy patio beats the vicious cold icy weather that Illinois is having about now. It’s been a perfect time of just resting in “God’s creation”.
The other day my family and I visited the USS Alabama and just a little note here. WW2 is my favorite time frame in history to study, not sure why exactly, but it is. To think this battleship played a role in that moment! OK… back to the point… I remember driving up to the battleship thinking, this is humongous. As we started the tours on this big ship I was crawling through every hole, through every door as 1940’s music played softly in each room, taking in as much history as I could, I began to think there were so many people on the this ship, with thousands of people aboard, they obviously knew the meaning of community. Then I thought, How does one not get lost on the boat? I mean without the helpful color coded numbers to keep me on target, they may of had to send in a rescue crew on my behalf. True story!
So out of the thoughts I had on this ship, this one revelations gets to be put down in a blog… Ready to hear?… How did the ship run smoothly in the middle of a raging battle and still stay afloat with over a thousand men on it? As i was going from room to room, reading bits of information from the little boards in front of each area, I realized each of those men, had an individual role on the ship. The cooks were not the ones that built the guns and the gunman were not the doctors on board, the sheriff guy was not the captain. But yet each role of these men were important in keeping the victory of staying afloat.
I was thinking and then it hit me, the church should be like this battleship. God has placed people in the church to do different duties. The Pastor, the secretary, the worship leader, the older lady that sits in the back and has a lot of wisdom and love to give, the custodian, the sound crew, the missionary, the door greeter… If you have one leader that tried to do everything in the church, it would be a one room entertainment fiesta. A leader that preaches 20 times a week, visits hospitals, leads worship, is responsible for the weekly bulletins, drives the school bus to and from crazy youth events, leads outreaches, and has a family of 6 that has ballgames every night a week, is just going to get burnt out and become ineffective in the ministries that God has specifically for them. The church would suddenly lose vision and eventually die. We as the Body of Christ all have an individual role to play. Not a thousand roles, but something more specific.
The way the battleship runs is simple… Everyone knew there job, everyone was at there post, everyone waited for the sirens to go off so they could use there role to save nations. They did it with urgency, humility, wisdom, virtue, honor, the list goes on.
I think the church need to be the battleship that can take a few storms without splitting and sinking, that can operate in the Holy Spirit, not by words spoken by people in the pews, that can speak nothing but truth and not worry about offending because it may be “to convicting”.
My final point is this, the church needs to operate like the battleship if they want to see souls saved, lives changed, healing’s happening. Each person in the Body of Christ has a position to fulfill. A duty to withhold.
My calling is to go out to a dark, scary place and be a lighthouse! There are people who have never felt the love of God, and yet we are so ashamed to tell the cashier at Wal-Mart whos going on about her horrible day, that its going to get better, that there is a man named Jesus who loves her! The thing is.. I am guilty too! There were times I missed. Now i know not everyone is called to go… some are called to give. Others are called to pray, Others are called to encourage, Others are called to administrate events and trips. No one is called to do nothing, We are all called to Do something!
As i end this there are a few ways to get involved if you feel called to give! You can hit the support me link… I am selling t shirts, and selling squares as well! You can message me if you have any questions!
Maybe you feel called to pray! I could not do this without you guys!
In order for me to leave fully funded in September I need $16,256 in my account! Where God guides He will provide. I am right now at $1,671! Many have said that seems so impossible, but I know who my God is and what He can do and I 100% believe He is making a way, even when there seems to be no way!
Much love to you all,
Lindsey
