Learn Then Do

Wow, my 100th post! I'd really love to hear from those who read thecoblog to see whether or not it makes a difference in their lives. What do you like about it? Has it impacted your relationship with Christ? What would you change? Do you have a subject you want me to write about? Do you have any friends who'd love to read thecoblog? Don't hesitate to send them a link! Thanks again! God Bless!

When I was younger, I used to race pinewood derby cars. My father and I would spend time together in the garage building, sanding, painting, weighing and testing the cars until everything was perfect. We’d check to see what the best placement of the weights was and how much graphite was the best amount. We’d even make one of the front wheels higher than the other so it would decrease the friction between the car and the track (yes, it was legal).

Not only did the relationship between my father and I grow during the weeks that it took for these cars to be built, I was also able to learn how to use the tools that were required to build them. Similarly, when we go to Church, we come together to fellowship with each other, to connect with God and to be equipped to do what we have been called by God to do.

Ephesians 4:11-12 says, “[Christ] is the one who gave these gifts to the Church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do His work and build up the Church, the body of Christ.”

The people who are the leaders in your Church have been given a vision from God in order to carry out their ministry for Him. According to the passage above, their responsibility is to take this vision and use it to equip people to do God’s work. Sadly, many who attend Church fail to realize why it is so important. They don’t see that when they go to Church they aren’t just listening to a sermon or singing songs, they are being taught how to use the “tools” God has given them in order to be best used by Him.

Because they don’t realize that they are to use what they’ve learned to do work for God, they begin to have a self-centered walk with Christ. By this I mean they go to Church wanting only to be fed instead of using what they’ve learned in order to feed others. This would be just like me not using the tools my father taught me how to use; if I didn’t use the tools, the cars would have come out ugly, or worse, they would have never been completed. Likewise, we must not only focus on learning more about Christ, we must use what we’ve learned at Church to improve our relationship with, and to more effectively bring other people to, Him.

Are you allowing yourself to be equipped by the messages that God speaks through the leaders of your Church? Are you using the gifts that God has given you for His kingdom, whether it’d be at your Church volunteering or witnessing to others? Just like my goal of winning the pinewood derby races required using tools that I learned how to use, as Christians we must strive to win the race that God has given us by doing what we’ve been equipped to do. Our prize, however, is not some small gold plated medal, our prize is eternity with our Creator (1 Corinthians 9:23-25).