God's Arrangement

“But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose”
(I Corinthians 12:18).

June is “Volunteer Appreciation Month.” During the month of June, we set aside time each Sunday to express our appreciation for the many wonderful people who volunteer their time to serve us as a church. It is no understatement to suggest that without the volunteers we have, the ministry of the church would be severely hindered. Once again, let me express my deep appreciation to all of you who volunteer, no matter what area of ministry you are engaged in.

In that light, I was particularly blessed (to the point of tears) as I watched more than 100 kids enter the building each morning this past week for Vacation Bible School.  The enthusiasm on their faces was contagious. At the same time, however, I thought of the 50 plus volunteers who devoted every morning this past week to serving in VBS. That’s where the passage of scripture quoted above speaks to me.

You see, God is interested in our service. As such, he has “arranged” us so that we fit perfectly into his body in order to serve his people. The word “arranged” has a particular meaning. It means that God has individually placed each person for a specific purpose (serving). I like that. It suggests that God has taken the initiative in preparing us for specific areas of serving, with no one area of service more important than another, because we are all members of the same body.

Now how does this apply to you? Well, I think you can see that the passage applies to all of God’s people in that we are all meant to serve because God has “arranged” it to be so. More directly, serving is not an option because God is the “arranger.”

That observation leads to a question that applies to each of us. Are you serving? The manner of service you engage in is not as crucial as the fact that you are sensing that God has purposed you to do so. Thus, serving benefits you perhaps more than those you serve; because when we follow through with how God has arranged us, we receive his favor and blessing.

The principle involved in all of this is simple; serve! There is always room to serve God’s people both inside and outside the church. The benefits of serving are twofold. You are blessed and others are ministered to. God has arranged it to be so.

Here is what I would ask you to do. First, if you are not serving, ask yourself why. There is a reason, and upon reflection you will likely learn that it is not a valid reason. Second, if you are serving, enjoy the blessings that God brings to you as you give of yourself to others. It is indeed more blessed to give than to receive, yet God has a wonderful way of richly blessings us as we sense that we have been “arranged” in the body to serve!