Rule of Life Number 3

Element 3: Fidelity to the Church

Scripture Reference: Romans 12:4-6: Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.

The Church is an extension of Christ. When one becomes a follower of Christ, he or she becomes part of the body of Christ. Each person who is a part of the body is designed to serve a special and unique role within the body, a role not designed for or fulfilled by anyone else. Fidelity to the Church means working in the area that God has gifted and called the individual to work in. To not fulfill the call of the body of Christ is to leave the body lacking in its effectiveness. Fidelity to the Church does not equate to fidelity with God; it is very easy for someone to neglect a growing relationship with God in the name of fulfilling fidelity to one’s work within the church. As a pastor, it is especially important to not put fidelity to my work in the church as a priority over God and my family.

Reading back on this rule, I can see how a lot of people can miss out on this crucial aspect of life. The old saying in the church is that 95% of the work that gets done is accomplished by 5% of the people in the church. So often we find ourselves coming to the church to get filled up, to have our needs met, to ask "What can the church do for me today?" More often we should be asking ourselves "What can I do to be an effective part of the body of Christ?" Maybe being effective is trying out something new, giving a particular area of ministry a shot. I found out very quickly through serving in various volunteer positions that Children's ministries wasn't a good fit for me for the long haul. I can most certainly volunteer to help with crafts during vacation bible school, because that is 15 hours during one week out of the entire year, and I can volunteer in the Nursery every once in a while, but to consistently volunteer in Children's ministries would drive me crazy. The key to effective, fulfilling work in the body of Christ is finding your fit in ministry and actually putting out the effort to work in that ministry. It truly can be a very rewarding experience to have fidelity to your church.