Working Outside the Box

[HKHaugan]

Epi. 14a An Addition, Working Outside the Box

A little addenda to the agenda allows for more of a ‘blenda.’

"There different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 

There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.

There are different kinds of workings, but the same God works all of them in all men (1Cor. 12:4-6)."

In these verses there are three very distinct references to God’s plan for each of us. His plan includes a job description (gift, Gk. charismaton), a special form of ministry (service, Gk. diakonon) for the job to operate in and the working power (energy, Gk.energeimaton) to get the ministry done. The same God inspires all three. Paul’s goal here is very clear. He dramatically distinguishes the extreme difference between paganism with its many gods and the uniqueness of the One God in Jesus.  One God relates personally by supplying each believer with personal gifts for a relational ministry empowered by the Holy Spirit; gifts, ministry, power..

Why this is important is because of the tendency of sin to fragment the way we each see life.  The devil uses sin to fragment us.  He is out to disrupt our emotions, our dreams, exploit our limitations and our need to find some way to live meaningfully.  He does with the spirits of fear and pride.  Defensively guided by these, we find our selves divided and divisive and indecisive. We are isolated and alienated and segregated. All this happens within us; our hearts, minds and spirits.  It's right here that the Father sent Jesus to bring us back to the basic truth of our existence as images of God and, through faith, His children. It was to rescue us from the many gods we make up to try and satisfy our heart's instability.  He showed that we have only one real need, to be right with the One who is right, our One God. He alone can give us the key to function as He intended when we were born.

The world around us is saturated with evil spirits which are reflected in the attitudes that govern how people act. Those evil spirits are the false ‘gods’ that people follow either knowingly or unknowingly.  They are deceptive.  They hide in the need for acceptance, self worth,  balance, wisdom, wealth and inner peace.  They feed on the fears that lie within each.  But these complex factors fade in the presence of a relationship with Jesus because we take our lead from a One God with a One Lord and a One Spirit, Three in One and One in Three, a Father, Son and Holy Spirit. While it is far beyond our understanding it is at the same time the simplest of explanations and experiences. To give one’s self to a One God instead of having to fear the many out of fear and self justifying reasoning, makes a heck of lot more sense.

How this translates for each of us is to hear the Lord calling each of us to see the gifts He has given us and then to see where in the Body a need for that gift is, which then leads us to start filling that need. So it goes from gift to format to operation, from inspiration to plan to action, from idea to structure to happening, from a vision to a decision to action.  From an idea to a structure to its activity.  This is how a church is planted, how a mission to an area of people is formed, how any need is seen, a structure to meet it formed and those led to help its working purpose.  All ministry starts as the result of one person being inspired to see a need, structure a means to meet it and then let the Holy Spirit pave the way.  Jesus is the prime example of an individual called.  Maybe you are one.  Actually there is no maybe about it.  Every one is called.  Pray to figure out what your calling is.

Obviously we have been through the section that describes our being a part of the larger Body of Christ. We know that our function in the Body is spiritual.  What goes on spiritually in the world starts in the Body from the gifts each of us is given personally in the Body.When we operate spiritually in the Body, the Body grows. When the Body grows spiritually it draws those outside the Body to want to be a part of it. But also every member of the Body goes and works in the outside world. What we do in the Body is what enables us to be a spiritual light in that world. We also are the salt that can change the flavor of what is happening where we happen to be at anytime with anybody. The more we exercise our gifts in the Body, the stronger we are, the brighter the light and the more people can taste God when we are with them. That's when each of us can experience our calling outside the box, the box being a local congregation.  If the box is our personal comfort zone, that's where we learn the real place we are called to work is outside the box.