Participators not Spectators!

The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ...All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.

Meremoth son of Uriah and grandson of Hakkoz repaired the next section of wall. Beside him were Meshullam son of Berekiah and grandson of Meshezabel, and then Zadok son of Baana. Next were the people from Tekoa, though their leaders refused to work with the construction supervisors.

Nehemiah 3:4‭-‬5 NLT

I was thinking about the words 'spectator' and 'participator' based on a word of encouragement I received from a ministry a few months ago. As I began studying these words, the Lord led me to the book of Nehemiah. I honed in on chapter 3 where the builders of the wall of Jerusalem are chronicled. After reading it through, I noticed a few things that I would like to share with you.

I would have previously read (skimmed through) this chapter when studying the book of Nehemiah but God used it today to impress upon me an important truth about His body. The fact that the builders were given an entire chapter denotes their importance. Their work was noted, not only at that time in history but their names and their mark is forever inscribed in the Holy Bible.

No one person rebuilt the wall. It was a collective work. Each person had their part to play. Each person was of importance. There were nobles and there were "average joes" but they all aided in rebuilding because they were part of Jerusalem. There was a place for them all. I wish we would get this in the body of Christ. There is a place for each of us. There is work for everyone to do in rebuilding the walls of the church in this season but we each need to take up our tools and get to work. Do not spend your time criticising and judging the work instead of actually helping. There is no room for spectators, only participators.

There's no room for spiritual laziness or pride in this hour. You are either actively with the church or against the church. The same way the builders' good works were documented and remembered, so too the laziness and pride of the nobles of Tekoa. They refused to help. You can either join the train or get left behind in this season. How do you want to be remembered? Do you want to be just a spectator of all that God is about to do or do you want to be a participator?

If there's one thing quarantine has taught us is, it's what's truly important and essential. The truth is that most of the jobs that we now see are essential, were viewed by many as the least honourable positions in society. But look at what God has shown everyone in this crisis! "In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary." It's the same thing in the body of Christ! Each part is important and essential, no matter how big or small it might look by human standards. So dear believer, if you are an eye, be the best eye you can be and if you're an eyelash, be the best dang eyelash you can be because without you, the eye wouldn't be able to function at optimum capacity. Each of us has a part to play in being effective as the church.

I'm sure we all want to be a part of the upcoming move of God. Therefore, let's take up our tools. Let us beat our swords into plowshares. Instead of fighting each other (denomination against denomination and leadership style against leadership style), and having meaningless disagreements, let us focus on the ultimate task of building the church, not the physical walls but the spiritual. Let us build with love as the most important stone and the word of God as a firm foundation.

Let's get to work!