How to Have a Healthy Church
All of us, together, are part of Jesus’ body—the Church. Together we reflect who He is and what He has done. When we accept Jesus as our Savior, we receive His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit enables us to live like Jesus by equipping us with unique gifts we can use to strengthen and encourage the Church. And when we listen to the Holy Spirit, He draws us closer to God and to each other.
And because it is the same Spirit at work within each of us, anyone who belongs to Jesus is part of His body, and has a unique role to play. But just as a physical body will not function unless everything works together, the Church will not function the way it was intended unless we are receptive to the work of the Spirit in us, and committed to putting Jesus first.
The Church is healthy when it works together—united in its desire to love people like Jesus did, and serve others the way Jesus did.
Practically, this could look like serving the people we see at the store, on the street, or at a church service. It could look like inviting someone to your house for a meal, helping someone find a job, being a safe space for a vulnerable family, or financially supporting a non-profit.
If we are Christians, then we are part of Jesus’ body—His Church—and we have a unique role to play in building it up. We are called to use the gifts the Holy Spirit gives us to encourage and sacrificially serve each other, staying united in our love for our Savior. When we do that, Jesus shines through us and touches a broken world in need of hope.
So today, what can you do to serve and support the body of Christ? Jesus’ body is our body—so let’s treat it with care. It is this body that God has chosen to show His love to a hurting world.
Live Prepared
Pause and think of the people who, at a moment’s notice, have to be ready for anything. Maybe your list includes first responders, the military, athletes, teachers, parents, pilots, surgeons, or pastors.
But does your list include you?
As followers of Jesus, we are called to…
“…Be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”
1 Peter 3:15 NIV
We can’t expect people to observe what Jesus has commanded unless we are also observing His commands ourselves.
Do we want people to learn about God’s love? Then we need to show God’s love to people. Do we want people to learn about Jesus’ compassion? Then we need to be compassionate. Do we want people to give generously? Then we need to be good stewards of our own money. Do we want people to study God’s Word? Then we need to study it for ourselves.
When you give Jesus control over your life, you allow His ...