We are ALL called to be His Church

There are so many of us who call ourselves Christians, yet we’re still divided on what the Church should look like. Let’s think about that for a minute. We divide ourselves into different denominations of the same faith or we can think about it this way instead, we are all pieces to the same puzzle, but we can’t see the full picture until we put all the pieces together. Hmmm…. What do you think that I mean by that? According to http://www.thegospelcoalition.org, “the unity of the church is rooted in the deep conviction that God’s people in spite of all their differences are united to Him by faith in Jesus Christ.”

According to http://www.apostolicfaith.org, the question was asked, “What is unity between believers?” and was answered in the following way: “They should recognize that unity between believers is vital in the work of the Lord. Unity implies the oneness of the spirit, aims, interests, and feelings of diverse individuals, and is necessary in order to receive God’s blessing and to see much accomplished for Christ.”

If we are all pieces to the same puzzle, why don’t we try to find out how we fit together versus how different we all think about God? When I talk with my beautiful friend, Paula, I see where there are things that she sees that I haven’t and I hope vice versa. We are different in how we look at our faith in God but what unites us is that we have faith in God. It’s only when we have put all the pieces together, then a beautiful picture begins to emerge. It is vital that we remember that we are God’s Church, not the buildings that we go to, to worship. When we begin to see that, then we can begin to see that our role as Christians is so much bigger than a church service or, especially, the denomination of faith that we belong to. It’s how we treat others when we aren’t there (in a building), that is what God sees in us and how he wants to unite us in this world. (Related post: Pieces of the Same Puzzle)

So, what did I learn from this? God has a place for me. Right now, He’s still shaping me. As hard as it is sometimes to Let Go and Let God take the reins to my life, I know that He will not harm me and will only do what He does to help me to prosper. He’s helping me to fit into His church on earth (notice I didn’t say “the church”!). How do I do that? I lean sharply on my faith and trust in something that I cannot see but I know that God sees. I also know that He sends me the tools, His word as well as friends and family, to help see me through.

What can you gain from this? Open yourself up to what God can do. Listen to each other and try not to be so quick to judge someone else’s journey. Remember what unites us and then try to listen with a whole heart. I think that it’s only then that you can see how God can work and has worked in others as well as yourself. God knows that we are not perfect but, what we are? We are His. He loves us just as we are and He has called us to do the same with others.