Needed and Needy

In the Body of Christ, all are needed and all are needy. This is why the Apostle Paul emphasizes in 1 Corinthians 12 that no one has all the gifts and all have no one particular gift. If you are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, you have been given "the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good" 1Corinthians 12:7.

The other members of your local church need the gift(s) you have. You are charged to use them for the benefit of others. How important you are to your church!! If you do not serve in your church using your gift(s), your church loses out and YOU lose out!

I am constantly blessed by the service gift of D.E., who makes coffee for the church on Sunday mornings. He does it because he wants to and because the Holy Spirit in him motivates him to serve us in this way. He also helps to take up the morning offering...again, just because he WANTS to serve. This past Sunday S.C. blessed us all with his gift of teaching during the morning's message. He excels in painting visual images that illustrate great gospel truths. We would have all missed out if he had buried that gift under a bad attitude of pride or the complaint that he just doesn't have the time. P.W. blesses me continually with the gift of encouragement. He doesn't just say, "That was a blessing"...he gives specific details about what blessed him. HOW we would all miss out at my local church without these individuals and many others. THEIR GIFTS BELONG TO US! They are NEEDED!

On the other hand, even though we are gifted by the Spirit, we are not given ALL the gifts. We NEED the gifts given to others. In the New Testament there is no such thing as a believer saying, "I just trust in Jesus for what I need, I don't need anyone or anything else." SOUNDS spiritual, but it is the WRONG spirit!! Jesus ministers to us in a significant way through the gifts given to others. This is one of the primary reasons NOT to forsake fellowship with your brothers and sisters - if you don't, you will miss out on what you need to stay spiritually fit.

False humility says, "I'm not needed." Plain ole arrogance says, "I'm not needy."

I CANNOT walk with Jesus in an ongoing intimate and growing way unless I both serve with my gifts and receive the service of others through their gifts.

I am needed and needy. I will always be. But I have you (plural) and you have me. Hallelujah!