additional Faithwalkers thoughts...

So I've had time to meditate some more on the Faithwalkers teachings and I really appreciated something that Pat Sokol shared. He talked about the disciple's love of the body and how we are all really just a pixel in the image that God is creating. But... that's not the image that I really connected with. He talked about being a foot ball player, especially a lineman (which I was). Each position on the field has a specific task during each play. Now, stars are made when people can run and catch and score TD's, but a lineman is never a start. The two years I played (and I really wasn't that great. I really sucked pretty bad), I never even thought about being a star. It seriously never even crossed my mind.

I like the lineman analogy because it really shows that we all have a part to play to make something happen. The pixel analogy is good too, but it feels more passive. I like the idea of getting into the action and doing my part, that part being what ever God calls me to do.

We as members of the body are all players in the same game. We all have different jobs, though and if one person doesn't do their job, then the play will probably fall to pieces. Paul says in Romans 12:3-8, "For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For 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, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully"

It is interesting to me, as a member of the church I am so tempted to try to build myself up for the sake of my own pride, but as a foot ball player, I never once tried to be a star. It never even crossed my mind. I was a defensive tackle and I knew my job was to plug holes first and try to get to the ball. In the process, it took two, sometimes three guys to block me, creating large gaps for our line backers. I was happy to do my job and never tried to do anything else. I had a couple of fumble recoveries. Did I get those to boost myself? No, it was just what I did for the sake of the team. So in my life in the church, I should do my job for the sake of the body. Being a star should never enter into the equation. After all, the star is Jesus so then what does that make my attempts to stand out? Really, they are tantamount to idolatry.

And besides, when it comes to being a humble servant, what does the word say? “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble (James 4:6b)." God promises to reward those who earnestly seek him, and it may not be in recognition in this life, but I will definitely get to hear him say, "Well done" when I get to heaven (or in Pat Sokol's case, "That'll do, pig." Still makes me laugh!). So, to heck with Stardom! I'm going to do what God's got me doing, building into men, and I'm going to do it with everything I've got.