The Sleeping Giant

There are days that I read the Bible and can feel an important personal revelation is just out of reach. I stop, re-read the passage, and try again. Sometimes I pray, read it a third time, and still don't quite get it. Then, there are times that I set the Bible down, go about the business of my day and think on the scripture I read, hoping that something will click. There are even days that I go to bed without the revelation that I know is just out of my reach. If I wake up without the revelation I pick up supporting books like Halley's or Unger's and pray that I will learn more through reading them. I go to the Internet, ask my wife, use a concordance to find corroborating scriptures and, if all that fails, I read the next section of scripture. It kinda stinks when the heavy revelation is in the next section of scripture...

I've been reading Romans lately, and meditating on the various themes it contains. I read Romans 13 vs. 1-6 and felt that I was just missing something. I followed all of my normal methods for discovering the message that the verses held for me. Unfortunately, nothing clicked. I read four more verses and had my revelation...

"And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up out of your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed." (Romans 13:11)

The Church is a sleeping giant. Just a few verses earlier (Romans 12:4-8), Paul likens the church to a body with many members. Each member must do its part for the church to function properly. Paul encourages everyone to use their gifts: prophesy, serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, governing and showing mercy. Paul doesn't say that these gifts are to be confined to the Church or to be used solely for it's benefit.

My belief is that when the church wakes up, and begins to demonstrate these gifts to the rest of the world, the Church will in turn be built up. When those with the God-given gift of prophesy (which can be defined as preaching God's Word) step up and speak His Word people will hear it and be saved. When people with the gift of serving, encouragement or showing mercy exercise their gifts in the workplace, other people will see their living witness and be saved. When people with the gift of giving generously do so people will be affected by their giving, their lives will be changed, and when the glory goes to God so will the hearts of the people affected by their donations. When people with the God-given gift of leadership are placed in governmental positions and in turn govern justly (in accordance with God's Word), people will see their example and turn towards God. The same holds true for those placed in leadership positions in the business world.

When these gifts are used solely within the church we are in effect hiding our light under a bowl (Matthew 5:14-16). Christ called us "a city on a hill." Our actions cannot/should not be hidden. We must stand up (or, as Paul says, wake up) and let our light shine.

God help my light to shine. Help me to use my God-given gifts/abilities to the betterment of your Church and as a witness for You to those I see every day. Help me to remember that I am part of that "city on a hill"--my actions cannot be hidden. God give me wisdom.