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A Visit with
Eli
“ANYBODY”
Many months ago I saw a poster that
caught my attention, and I took the time to copy the message that
had no author listed.
The message went as follows, "This is
a story about four people named
Everybody,
Somebody,
Anybody
and Nobody.
There was an important job to do, and Everybody was asked to do it.
Everybody was sure Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done
it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry because it was
Everybody's job. Everybody thought Anybody would do it, but Nobody
realized that Everybody wouldn't do it. It ended up that Everybody
blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done."
Does this scenario sound familiar?
Can you recognize situations in which you were one of the four
participants? The following truths seem to be evident:
1.
Jobs that are open for everybody and anybody are rarely
filled.
2.
Most people are content to sit back and assume that needed
work will be done in some way, but they may have no clue as to how
that will happen.
3.
When jobs are not taken, people become frustrated; the
frustration can develop into anger.
4.
More people point fingers and place blame than will ever
volunteer for work.
Christians should not participate in
this scenario; however, most churches are plagued by the actions of
the four participants. They show up everywhere! In the 12th
chapter of 1 Corinthians, the Apostle Paul suggests that the church
is like a body, and church members are like parts of that body.
Each part is different, and each part is vital in its own way.
Somehow we have failed as individuals to identify our abilities;
somehow we have failed as a group to help people discover their
skills. Because of these failures, the work of the LORD is often
stymied. We need a person skilled in identifying spiritual gifts.
Do we have a volunteer for this task? Oops! Here we go again --
Everybody was asked to do it, and Everybody was sure Somebody ---
Rather than starting with a task
announcement and the need for volunteers, let's
first
seek God's wisdom and guidance.
Second,
let's seek to identify the many talents within the Church family.
Third
we must continue praying that God will light a fire within us to
accept the tasks that need to be accomplished.
Fourth,
we must continue praying that God will bless our human efforts.
Fifth, let's get to work.
Grace and Peace,
©
Eli Borden |
