1 Corinthians 12:12, 14, 19, 22 “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For the body is not one member, but many. And if they were all one member, where were the body? Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:”
Recently I was bitten by a brown recluse spider. What appeared to be a small bite swelled to a large abscess, immobilizing my left arm. As I tried to work, it was difficult to be productive because I couldn’t properly function due to the pain shooting through my arm at each attempt to use it.
One might argue, “Dan, you’re fine: you have two legs that still function, a solid head on your shoulders, your torso is intact, your other arm and hand are unmolested—what’s the big deal?” The entire body, specifically each member, needs to be playing its role if the body is to perform at peak performance. So our church cannot function when one of its members isn’t fulfilling his purpose.
The Bible gives an insight that our church is a body. Each member has a role that is imperative to be played if our church is going to fulfill its purpose in reaching a lost world for Christ. One member seeing his role (or I would like to refer to it as his niche) as unimportant causes the whole body to suffer.
What’s your niche? You might reply, “Well I’m not called to be a pastor, and I don’t have an angelic voice...so I’m not sure.” I can assure you that if you are saved and belong to a church, you have a “niche,” a specific role God wants you to play to better the church as a whole. When you fulfill your purpose, the whole church is bettered because of it.
For those unsure of their niche, I would like to share a few insights given to us in Scripture to narrow down your purpose in the church:
“Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” Psalms 37:4 As we walk close to the Lord and delight in Him, He fills our hearts with His passions and vision. As we have God’s vision, we will begin to see specific facets He would like us to serve in. However, we won’t find our niche if we are not walking in the Spirit.
In our passage, God clarifies that each member has a different sphere in which he is called to serve. Each role is different but none less important. I don’t have a particular ability to lead music; music is one area in which I’m particularly illiterate. God has blessed our church with many talented musicians, so chances are my niche isn’t leading our music ministry. There are other gifts and abilities He has equipped me with that I’m able to use in my service at our church.
The twenty-fifth verse in this chapter mentions the necessity of working in harmony so there’s no schism. A schism is an inadequacy working against the common cause. Though each and every one of us will have a different niche, our service should work in unity with the overall purpose God has given our church, reaching the lost and dying world.
Thoughts to ponder:
•You are important to our church.
•You have a niche only you can fulfill.
•No one can fulfill your purpose as well as you can.
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