The Discovery: Exploring God’s Call On Your Life Sample

“The Responsibility: How do my actions affect the Body of Christ?”

As you begin the ministry of Jesus Christ in your current assignment, it is vital that you understand your responsibility not only to your call, but to the Body of Christ as a whole.

God created the church, both locally and globally, to function as a single unit with a single purpose. There is no room for competition, jealousy, stubbornness, laziness, or arrogance within the Body. Any time a human organ ceases to function in the way that it was designed to function, it affects the rest of the body. It may kill or damage other organs, put added strain on other organs, or kill the body alltogether. Organ malfunction is serious business within the human body; the malfunctioning of a believer within the Body of Christ is just as serious.

During the course of your life, you will be tempted to malfunction as a member of the Body of Christ. Hurting yourself and others out of a desire for recognition that can only be satisfied by God, you may become competitive. Forgetting that you have everything that you need in Christ and that His grace is sufficient for you, you may become jealous, slanderous, or steal the joy of fellow believers.

Essentially attempting to replace Jesus as the Head of the Body, you may become stubborn, paralyzing the rhythm of God within the Body. Forgetting the cross that is yours to carry, you may become lazy, or, forgetting the grace that saved you when you did not deserve it, you may become arrogant.

Whatever your tendency, guard against it, humbly assuming your place within the Body, replacing your own desires with God’s desires, and finding contentment in your own assignment.

Respond to the following in your journal:

Because of our sinful natures, we are all tempted to malfunction within the Body. Knowing yourself, how do you predict that you will be tempted? How can you guard against it?

What did you learn through Bible study today?

How were you encouraged? How were you challenged?