In a car friction is constantly wearing out the engine parts and wasting energy. Hence the need for lubricants: substances that fight friction and allow moving machine parts to slide past one another more smoothly. Lubricants allow many parts work together efficiently. Glue, on the other hand, is a sticky substance which is used to join things together permanently. Can you imagine putting glue in the engine of your car?
There is no doubt that work goes faster when everyone works together. It is vividly shown in book of Nehemiah. It is also true when we look at work in the ministry of the church. It is not just about how quickly chairs get set up or put away after a service or event, but also about the eternally significant work that the church is charge to complete – helping people know Jesus, find freedom and purpose, and make a difference for God’s glory.
The church has a lot of work to do, but it will never get done unless we all step up and do our part. Success comes when we work together like the people of Jerusalem under the leadership of Nehemiah.
Henry Ford reminds us:
“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.”.
The church of Jesus Christ is called to be a mighty force in the world that not even the gates of hell can stand against. However, if each of us fail to stand up and take seriously the work assigned, the church will not have the momentum to ring the door bell of hell let alone knock down its gates.
So here are some questions to think about when it comes to the church and your contribution in making a difference in the world for the glory of God: Am I acting like grease in the axles or glue in the gears? Am I high maintenance and low return or am I low maintenance and high return? Am I a burden to the work God is trying to do around me or am I making the burden lighter? Read
