Every person has an important ‘part’ to play in life–no person is more or less important than any other. On the world stage we play our parts in various settings; the family, places of education and employment, the community, and the Church.

You are not an accidental extra! Every person has been carefully shaped by God to make a righteous difference in the world in which we live. However, as most people are ignorant as to their unique shape, the where, why, and how they ‘fit’ in life remains a mystery, and therefore are not able to function as they should. The Church world-wide is in distress… too many members are ignorant as to their importance and the special part the Lord has for them to play in the life and mission of His Church.

You ‘are’ a special part!  First Peter says… “God has given each of you a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God Himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to Him forever and ever! Amen” (4:10-11).

Several things need to be known before believers can play their parts well in life… beginning with the Church, then their families, and other areas of life:

Firstly: KNOW your part – First Corinthians says… “A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church” (12:7). For those of you who are at a loss as to what your special part is, the following four steps will help you to move from the spectators’ stand, onto the playing field… where the ‘rubber meets the road’:

Step 1: ‘Believe’ that God has given you spiritual gifts! TheBook of Romans says… “God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well. So, if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out when you have faith that God is speaking through you. If your gift is that of serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, do a good job of teaching. If your gift is to encourage others, do it! If you have money, share it generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly” (12:6-8).

Step 2: ‘Prayer’ will help you know your special part… James says… “If you need wisdom – if you want to know what God wants you to do – ask Him, and He will gladly tell you. He will not resent you for asking” (1:5). Jesus says… “Everyone who asks, receives” (Matt. 7:8).

Step 3: Get ‘advice’ from mature believers who know you… Proverbs says… “Get all the advice and instruction you can and be wise the rest of your life” (19:20).

Step 4: Start ‘serving’! Do not wait to be invited to serve… offer yourself! Remember, you do not have to be great to start, but you must start to become great.

Secondly: MANAGE your part well…Four suggestions:

1. Have a right attitude – Paul says, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who being in the very nature of God did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant” (Phil. 2:5-7). Jesus said He did not come into the world to be served but to serve… to the extent of laying down His life! (Matt. 20:28).
2. Follow divine instructions – The Bible is God’s outer voice and the Holy Spirit is God’s inner voice. Listen carefully to God and ‘be’ a NIKE Believer… Just do it!
3. Rely on divine power -Verse 11 of First Peter, chapter 4, says that we should play our parts “with all the strength and energy that God supplies.” Spiritual gifts need spiritual power! Jesus says, ”You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you” (Acts 1:8). Friends, we cannot play our parts well in human strength alone!
4. Develop to your full potential – Do not stop where you are! Ephesians says… “Equip God’s people to do His work and build up the church … so that we will be mature and full grown … measuring up to the full stature of Christ” (4:12-13).

Some advice for managing your part well: Focus your energy on what you love to do, aim for excellence – do your best, see mistakes as your friend (“we all make many mistakes” Jam. 3:2), be a ‘team player’… not a lone-ranger, be willing to sacrifice time, money, effort, and comfort, and serve to please ‘the audience of One’!

Thirdly:  Your MOTIVATION must be right. We are to play our parts for GOD… “Then everything you do will bring glory to God” (1 Pet. 4:11). The parts we play are also intended to benefit OTHERS… “Under His direction, the whole body is fitted together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts to grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love” (Eph. 4:16).

Three things you should know:

1.  The place with the highest unemployment in the world today is the Church! Reliable studies have shown that the average church, world-wide, is made up of 20% of the people who do 80% of the work, while 80% of the people do 20% of the work.

2.  God did not save us to become observers in His church. He saved us and commissioned us to be life-long servers! Revelation says, “Jesus has made us His Kingdom and His priests who serve before God His Father” (1:6). Priests sit down only when their work is finished. Like our Heavenly Father, our work will never be finished.

3:  You will not grow and develop… nor will you be satisfied in life without playing your part well.

Friends, where does God see you… in the spectators’ stand, or on the playing field? Do you know your part? Are you playing your part well?

Bill