Galatians 4:18a But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing,

This week as I was seeking out words to share with the readers of Lifelines, I stumbled across a precious find that excited me very much. I was zealously affected as I wrote the article. In my excitement I shared it with my wife. She had a different take, one I didn’t anticipate. So I sent it to Fred without comment as to my wife’s viewpoint. Fred returned with a different concern.

I took these two counsels and used them as food for thought. The conclusion is that my discovery was not for general consumption, but meant just for me. There is a wealth of devotional writers today. Not all churches have their own staff. Each of us desire to use our gifts in service to the Lord and our readership. We all have one thing in common, we are people who not only share a word but need a word. When is it personal and when is it right for general consumption?

No matter how experienced, gifted, mature or wise the writer, we all need sound counsel. Being zealously affected speaks to the condition of an individual and has no relationship to the needs of the body. When we are zealously affected we need to look to those who know us best to have a proper understanding of the purpose for that zeal. If others are in agreement, together we can discover how best to serve to edify the body. Either way, we are not in this alone, we need each other.

Proverbs 1:5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels;

Ephesians 4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

When you were a child, did you know what you wanted to be when you grew up? I wanted to pitch for the Boston Red Sox. It wasn’t a serious dream, I never went beyond the fantasy stage. Most people don’t end up with the jobs they dreamed of having. Skills, education and opportunity play a bigger role than desire.

Some of us don’t find our place in life until after college and those school years helped us learn what we would like to do in life. Perhaps not, perhaps you wanted to follow in dad or mom’s footsteps.

When it comes to being a member of the body of Christ we often have those same feelings. We are unsure of our gifts, our talents, or what training is available. We think of ourselves as doctor, lawyer, engineer, policeman, contractor where our job is our identity. Not so in the body of Christ.

Many times we struggle with fitting in because we don’t have a proper understanding of how we fit into the body. We use our worldly experience of job finding and try to apply that to finding our place in Christ. Many of us struggle with that and end up feeling like “I’m just a toe in the body.” Maybe you are but are you aware of how much balance the toes provide in walking? Every part is important, every part needs to be connected to another part. But how?

Hebrews 12:2a Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;

Jesus, as the author, places you where He needs you and trains you up to perform according to His design. That design is to look like Jesus, to sound like Jesus, and walk like Jesus. In order to do that we have to stop making those choices about what we can and cannot do, what we will and will not do, and stop worrying about our image and seek His.

If you think you are struggling with that, let me encourage you. I see more of Jesus around me now than ever before.