Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:29 – “Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles?” (NRSV)
As we see the fall season on the horizon, our thoughts begin to turn from the beaches and books to a return to work or to school or to the toil necessary to face whatever the colder weather increasingly brings. In our church, we are looking to implement some fresh ideas and better practices that will help make our church vibrant in the future. But regardless of the season, we are always called upon to do more and to be more in order to face life’s challenges.
This can make us feel very stressed, like the weight of the world is on our shoulders. When he saw the need of the world, Jesus said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” He sent the disciples out in pairs to heal the sick and to cast out the demons that caused what we might call mental illness. When we look at our work as members of a church or just as Christians in general, there seems to be a lot more that needs to be done than we can do alone, or even in pairs. And as the challenges of bringing charity and justice to the world seem so overwhelming, we question why God called people as inadequate as we feel we are to the task.
But God knows us better than we know ourselves. God knows we cannot do it alone. So, the Holy Spirit comes to us to bring us together into the church, where all our seemingly insignificant talents can come together to make a whole that is equipped to address the challenges of the world.
In his First Letter to the Corinthians, Paul wrote about the different spiritual gifts. He saw that the church in Corinth was fighting over who was the most blessed, the most special, and who had the best talents. Paul reminded them that everyone had their part to play in the body of Christ, the church, and that all the members of that body, even the ones who seem insignificant, are essential to God’s hopes for us. He wrote, “Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?” Paul teaches that we do not have to do everything. If we are prophets, we do not have to be teachers, etc. We can accomplish miracles when we work together and realize we can trust other people to pick up where we might be weaker or less talented.
Paul goes on to say that all these gifts must be focused through the greatest of all spiritual gifts, which is love. When we have the humility to act out of love and not out of self-aggrandizement, we can accept that help and truly make the world better for the least of God’s children. So, when you are feeling overwhelmed by the tasks at hand, remember to start with love and that your friends have your back, even when you feel alone.
Prayer: Holy Spirit, come upon us, bind us together in love, and drive away our doubts so we can live a life of faith and hope. Amen.
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