And Another Season has Begun

Today finishes our first week back at school. This is "our" last year as J.W. is a senior.

Tonight was the beginning of soccer season starting off with our Alumni game. The team started practicing last week with their conditioning. They have to train and work on moves in order to prepare to play as a team. A lot of running takes place in practice so that when a game is played, the team is able to hold up and endure the entire 90 minutes up and down the field.

As we sat on the sideline and watched the game I thought about how exciting it will be to watch them stretch as a team throughout the season and hopefully grow together. I also thought about how each of them had a position to play and if they played their position well it would only benefit their team as a whole. If every team member tried to be the one to take the ball down the field to score it would be 11 individuals playing for themselves.  This same truth holds true for Christians in a local church.

God has given each of us spiritual gifts. Some of  them are used in the background and others might be visible to those around us. We each must be willing to do our part-use our gifts for God-not ourselves-and we will see a church that not only runs smoothly but will be God-honoring and glorifying to Him.

I Corinthians 12:12-26

 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.

If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

And if they were all one member, where were the body?

But now are they many members, yet but one body.

And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.

Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:

And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.

For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked.

That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.

And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it."

It takes us putting Christ as our leader and others before us as we live one day at a time so that we do not become proud and try to do things on our own. Work together as a whole and glorify God. We are on the same team with Christ as our captain!