The church was never meant to be a spectator sport, because we were never meant to be unproductive! In fact, from the very beginning of time, God created us with purpose, and with a job to do!
Genesis 1:27-28, “So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”
We are productive, because God is productive, and He created us in His image. We’ve been given gifts and talents and abilities to pour INTO the world around us, to make it better than we found it, and work diligently. We have trouble with this because our fallen nature doesn’t always want to work for something, face something difficult, or challenge the status quo, and our consumerism culture doesn’t help!
Some resolutions I’ve made in the past to help myself be a contributor, not a consumer:
Leave things better than I found them.
Learn about a subject (or both sides of the story), before speaking my opinion into it.
Let everything I say be good and helpful. (Eph 4:29)
Challenge myself, even when it’s scary.
Gauge my own investment.
This week, read:
Can you identify any areas of your life that need to change based on this passage?
Romans 12:1-3 (in the Message version)
How can you place your everyday life before God as an offering?
Have you been taking one side of the story in any area of your life? How could you begin to make more well-rounded opinions?