Many have heard the expression, “I feel like a square peg trying to fit in a round hole.” That is to say, many feel out of place and uncomfortable in certain situations. Although we try our best to meet expectations, we may feel a personal sense of incompetency, inadequacy, and dissatisfaction.
Perhaps our job, our station in life, our role in society and /or the church may seem out of sync with who we were created to be and accomplish. Personal obligations, circumstances, or responsibilities may hinder us from moving forward in the direction we desire.
Know that we are not alone. Biblical role models have walked through similar experiences.
- Take Moses…. called to lead the people of God out of bondage in Egypt, he first experienced living forty years in a desert caring for sheep.
- Or Joseph, who was to rise in authority and honor to save his family….. imprisoned and isolated from the family he loved.
You get the idea…. but we know that eventually God moved them into the proper position to fulfill their calling in him. A sense of fulfillment, satisfaction, and happiness comes when we find where we fit and can step into our God given role. The journey to that destination is sometimes difficult and disheartening. True happiness is experienced when we find those we were created to serve in the place we were created to serve them. Timing is crucial. This subject is discussed further in this excerpt from the book, The Power of Unity.
From the parishioner to the pastor,
From the infant to the spiritually mature,
From the home group to the mega church….
Each individual member of the body is important,
Harmony and unity of the body of Christ are crucial.
Why is unity so important? Being of one mind and one spirit makes us a powerful force to be reckoned with; but disharmony cripples the flow of the church’s spiritual power. Each member is significant to the healthy functioning of the church. What does a healthy church body look like and how do we subscribe to better health? Let us revisit the scripture in John 17:22-23.
“The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; 23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.” John 17:22-23
So that we may be “perfected” in unity. While one may argue that there is none perfect but Jesus Christ, we find that the word “perfected” from this text in the original Greek means to be made complete or finished. Perfection, or the completion of the body is accomplished through unity.
What differentiates a healthy church body from an unhealthy one? Some may remember a song made popular years ago by a Christian singing group, Jars of Clay. The song, “They Will Know We Are Christians By Our Love,” was originally written by a Catholic priest, Peter Scholtes in 1968. Of course, the song is based upon the scripture found in John 13:34-35:
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Our relationships and attitudes play key roles in the health and effective functioning of the body of Christ; so also do maturation and the proper positioning of its members. Where do you fit? Finding your place, where you can grow and prosper, are crucial to your happiness, and the health of the church.
Have you ever had a joint out of place? It hurts! The body of Christ hurts too when one of its members is out of place or tries to function in a role they were not created to perform. That is why it is crucial that pastors and other five-fold ministry leaders understand the basic anatomy and physiology of a healthy church.
As a child, I had firsthand experience watching the construction of my family home. My mother and father built three different homes, but I was too young to remember much about the first two. However, the third home I do remember.
Once the foundation was poured and the basement blocks were laid, they began adding the floor and then framed up the walls. I remember watching them carefully measure and measure again before beginning to cut the two by four studs. For it to fit properly it had to be a precise measurement, and one could not substitute one stud for another.
I also learned about mitering corners, and how careful the carpenter had to be to be sure everything fit properly, the angle had to be just right. We see Paul uses the analogies of constructing a building, as well as the anatomy of a physical body to explain how the members of the church are related to one another. (See Ephesians 2, 1 Corinthians 12)
Read more in “The Power of Unity” available here.