Such a busy weekend this is as our town has a four day festival and I am one of many volunteers to help out there. It was after the parade, and we went back to the information booth to get ready for work, and it didn’t take long for the kids to start coming in for their complimentary helium filled balloon. We were sent six student volunteers and I wondered if we would even need them, but we set them to balloon making.
Two boys filled and tied, three of us tied strings and make slip knots, and two others went into the crowd to ask if parents wanted their kids to have them. It was interesting to note that everyone ‘fell’ into the job they did best. Of the two who filled, one could not do the strings at all, the other eventually learned but was very slow. I could fill, but struggled too long in tying, the other two girls couldn’t do the filling and tying, and the two in the crowd couldn’t handle the inside jobs. We all went into the jobs wherein our talents were to become an efficient assembly line.
The crowds of kids came and I think we did over a thousand balloons (seemed like that many), the kids were happy and our fingers were tired. The work flowed smoothly as long as we each kept working our own job. Slow downs occurred only when we tried/ or were forced to do jobs not in our talents… One student was so excited to give the balloons out that he really helped to draw in the crowds. It was great!
Last night as I pondered the experience I wondered if things would go more smoothly in the kingdom of God if we all fulfilled God’s will for us, utilizing our God given talents instead of forcing our way into positions unsuited to our talents and/ or God’s will. That is why there are so many passages in the Bible about being part of the body. We all fit together working simultaneously for the kingdom of God
For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. 1Cor. -14 (also :1-31)
Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us… Rom. 12:6 (also :4-8)
He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. Eph. TLB
Jesus is the head of the one ‘church’ body- all true believers- (Eph. 1, 22,23) and we all ‘drink’ of the same Spirit. We have different gifts given to us by God for His purpose and when we are in His will we fit together perfectly and help each other grow. And so when we become one efficient body/ workforce we can more effectively do the Lord’s work until He returns. We reached more children with balloons by working together well, and the body of Christ will reach more unsaved people when we work well together.
Lord God, help us to be one in You. (Eph. 4:4,5)