Bible Passage: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves.” (Galatians 6:2-3 NIV)
Scripture Reading: Romans 12:3-8
In 1999, I took my dog and went out for a run. This was a normal practice for me.
That day, however, was different than my other running days. I was feeling kind of funky as I ran; it was harder than normal to complete my five-mile loop. When I got home, I went inside and lay down.
For the next several days, I could hardly walk.
Turned out, I had a post-strep infection that attacked my kidneys. I lost 40% of my kidney function around that time and, from then on, my kidneys got worse and worse.
What followed was a decade and a half of subsequent struggles like gout, high blood pressure, and even mental health issues, culminating in a kidney transplant in 2014.
My kidneys stopped doing what they were designed to do, and my whole body suffered.
Likewise, we were designed to serve, and when men don’t do what we were designed to do, the whole Church suffers.
I think every healthy church has four chairs in it.
The first chair is for those who are not yet Christians but are curious about Jesus; they want to find out who He is.
The second chair is for those who are brand new Christians; they want to grow up in Christ.
The third chair is for those who have been wounded in the faith; they need restoration and healing.
The fourth chair is for those who are ready and willing to do whatever Jesus asks; they are quick to serve, give, and be part of the solution.
Four chairs. That’s it. A church should always have an open chair for each of those four types of people.
The problem comes when we think there is a fifth chair.
This fifth chair is more like a deck chair on a cruise ship. It is for those who call themselves Christians but don’t really want to do anything for God. For them, church is not the place where they serve; it is the place where they are served.
Brothers, if you are a fifth-chair-sitter, let me implore you:
For the love of God and for the health of the Church, change seats!
Prayer: Lord, it is so easy to become a consumer in the Body of Christ and not a contributor. Help me to adjust whatever needs adjusting so that I can serve Your Church. Help me to function as I was meant to, and not be a hindrance to the growth of Your people. Amen.
Reflection: Which of the five chairs do you find yourself most often sitting in? What chair does Jesus want you to sit in? What might you ask Him to do in you so that, if needed, you can change seats?
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