Have you ever experienced the frustration of putting together a puzzle, only to discover in the end that a piece was missing? Even though that piece is just a tiny portion of the puzzle, its absence leaves a very noticeable flaw in the whole picture.
The same is true in God's Kingdom. 1 Peter 2:5 tells us, "You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house" (NIV). In a physical building, a missing brick leaves a hole in the wall. While God doesn't need us like a wall needs a brick, He does want to see us connected with other Christians to make a dynamic whole — which brings us joy and God glory.
Every Christian Has a Job to Do
When you belong to Christ, you are part of His body. He is the head. He leads the body, and He orchestrates its movements. And you are connected not only to Him, but also to every other part of the body as well. As we read in Scripture, "God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be" (1 Corinthians 12:18, NIV).
As a believer, you have an important job to do. You have a major role to play in the Church of Jesus Christ. And it's the job of every believer to rightly discern his or her role in the plan of God and to serve with enthusiasm — no matter what job God asks you to do.
No Job Is Insignificant
Therefore, before you say that your job isn't important because it isn't a visible one like preaching, consider the many behind-the-scenes people — people you've probably never heard of - that God has used to change the course of history.
Someone led D. L. Moody to Christ. Someone encouraged Charles Spurgeon through years of physical illness and depression, giving him the strength to continue his ministry. Someone financed William Carey's first missionary journey to India. Someone discipled George Müller. Believe me, I could go on and on.
History may not have recorded the names of these behind-the-scenes individuals, but history would not have been the same without them!
The Importance of Working Together
Here is an important truth: The body works best when all its parts work together. As believers, we are all different. We have different gifts and abilities, and we have different jobs to do. But we all belong to the same body. "Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others" (Romans 12:4-5, NIV).
So a believer functions best when connected to other believers. First and foremost, every believer needs to be connected to and actively involved in a local church.
It is by being built into the Church that you become effective in doing God's work. Charles Spurgeon once described the believer who is not connected to the church as a "good-for-nothing brick." So today, if you are not in a church, find one. And if you are in a church but not actively involved in serving, get involved. Use the gifts and the abilities that God has given you — and bring Him glory.
So never underestimate your significance to the Body of Christ. You have an important job to do. God gifted you uniquely, and He has a plan and a purpose for your life. You are a vital and valued part of God's Kingdom!
