Have you ever wondered, “What’s the best thing I could do for my church?” At a leadership conference last week, I heard another pastor say, “The best thing I can do for my church is to be fully alive in Christ,” and I thought, that is so spot on!
Sometimes, we focus on figuring out our God-given abilities and areas of spiritual giftedness, and those are all helpful things to figure out, especially as we’re trying to figure out how to serve our church. But imagine what every church would look like if we were to look beyond our abilities and focus more on our spiritual health and our closeness to Jesus.
Here’s the thing, when I’m fully alive in Christ, I’m more likely to love others as Christ has loved me (John 13:34); more likely to serve in all humility and consider others as more important than myself (Philippians 2:3-4); more likely to carry others’ burdens (Galatians 6:2); more likely to value all persons as image-bearers of God (Luke 10:25-37); more likely to pursue mercy and grace in all my interactions (Ephesians 4:32). When I’m fully alive in Christ, I am more likely to live like Jesus, and that makes all the difference.
This week, what steps can you take to become more fully alive in Christ? They may likely be the best steps you take not only for yourself, but for your church, too!