All Hands On Deck

If there was ever a time we needed all hands on deck in the Church, it is now.

We are living in what many call the loneliest generation in history. Over half of Americans report feeling disconnected, and loneliness has been declared a full-blown public health crisis. People are desperately searching for community, with Google searches for “how to connect with others” at an all-time high. The world is searching for hope. And this is where the Church must rise to the moment. It is not the world’s responsibility to meet this need — it is ours.

God has entrusted His people with the only answer that truly satisfies: the fellowship of the body of Christ and the life-giving hope of the gospel. Yet lethargy has crept in. Complacency grips much of the Church, whether from becoming comfortable as spectators, losing interest, or failing to recognize how vital each of us is to the mission of discipling the nations. This cannot continue. When we step into the gifts God has placed in us, each doing our part, we become the antidote to the epidemic of isolation and loneliness sweeping our generation.

Abide By Your Calling

Spiritual gifts were given to build up and strengthen the body of Christ. When the body is strong, we become that “city on a hill”, a beacon of light that cannot be hidden, a refuge for a hurting world. And if even one lonely soul finds their way to that light, it’s worth it all. But we cannot shine as a city on a hill if we remain idle, meaning, the time for distractions and sidelining is over.

We don’t need ministries trying to mimic the world’s strategies, or churches chasing the latest self-help trends, or pastors reduced to entertainers and entrepreneurs. What we need to do is yield to the leading of the Holy Spirit. We need God’s people fully alive, humbly but boldly exercising the gifts He has entrusted to them to strengthen the Church and reach a desperate world.

What does this look like? Paul writes:

And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love (Ephesians 4:11–16).

Did you catch that? Every joint supplies something important to the body — every part must do its share!

But that’s not the only place that speaks of this. In 1 Corinthians 12:28, others have gifts of healing, miracles, administration, and helps. In Romans 12:6-8, others have gifts of exhortation, generosity, leadership, or mercy (Romans 12:6–8). The point is, every single one of you is important and needed in this hour. Your gifting is needed — so abide by your calling. And don’t let another person’s style, influence, or popularity unsettle you. If it helps, consider Martin Luther’s attitude toward his little-known contemporary, Melanchthon, as your pattern:

I am rough, boisterous, stormy, and altogether warlike, fighting against innumerable monsters and devils. I am born for the removal of stumps and stones, cutting away thistles and thorns, and clearing wild forests; but Master Philip (Melanchthon) comes along softly and gently, sowing and watering with joy, according to the gifts which God has abundantly bestowed upon him.

This Is Your Time

If you’re a preacher, preach. If you’re a teacher, teach. If you’re a giver, give, and let your unique self shine through. Like Luther, I am a bit of a stump-and-stone remover myself, sometimes stormy and warlike, yet with no less love for my brothers and sisters, and the lost, than the gentlest soul among us. I am simply using what God has given me in the way He has empowered me. And so should you. Iron sharpens iron. I need you as much as you need me — and the world needs all of us.

God is not obligated to strengthen us for roles He never called us to fill. If God called you to serve the elderly, He’ll give you the strength, patience, and gentleness to do it in sincerity and love. If God called you to preach, He’ll train you in humility, prayer, and discernment. The point is simple: embrace what He gave you. Be yourself — under His anointing.

The Bible says, A man’s gift will make room for him and bring him before great men (Proverbs 18:16). What a promise!

This is your time. This is your year. Live on your knees in surrender, but stand on your feet in boldness. Be the salt and light God designed you to be. And if your gift touches only one life, that alone fulfills the very purpose for which He entrusted it to you.

May God be with you!

Carole