From Consumers to Contributors
There’s a subtle lie that creeps into the church. It sounds like this:
“I’m not needed.”
Or sometimes, “I don’t really have anything to offer.”
Or, “I’m just here to be fed.”
Now don’t get me wrong. There’s nothing wrong with needing to be fed. We all start there. But at some point, spiritual maturity looks like grabbing a towel, not just a plate.
We are not called to be consumers of spiritual goods and services. We are called to be contributors to the Kingdom.
Paul puts it like this in 1 Corinthians 12:27:
“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”
Not some of you. Not just the pastors. Not just the gifted. Each. One. Of. You.
The church is not a show. It’s not a weekly event. It’s not spiritual content you binge and forget by lunch.
It’s a body—with hands and feet, joints and muscles, hearts and nerves. And when even one part of the body isn’t functioning, the whole thing suffers.
In been said that in the American church, about 20% of the people do 80% of the work. In the last 5 years I wonder if that number hasn’t shifted from 10 and 90 respectively.
That’s not a guilt trip. It’s just reality. But it’s also a symptom.
We’ve allowed the church to become something we watch instead of something we are.
And this is where serving the Kingdom becomes more than a mere rhythm. It becomes a form of rebellion. A quiet revolution against the individualism of our age.
When you serve, you declare with your life:
I am not the center of the universe.
I’m part of something bigger than me.
The church is a body, and I’m an irreplaceable part of it.
Some people simply need to know that they matter. Their role doesn’t need to be flashy. They may not be on a stage. They may be wiping noses in the nursery, handing out bulletins at the door, or scrubbing dishes after a community dinner.
That is the Kingdom. That is what greatness looks like in the upside-down economy of Jesus.
Jesus said in Mark 10:45, “Even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.” That’s our blueprint. That’s our benchmark.
What if service wasn’t the exception, but the norm? Where your people’s spiritual gifts aren’t hidden in a drawer, but activated in the life of the community.
So the question isn’t, “Should I serve?” The question is, “Where am I uniquely shaped to serve?”
God didn’t make a mistake when He wired your people the way He did. He gave them a role in the body. And when they play it—when they show up, when they offer what’s in their hand—the whole church becomes healthier.
So take a breath. Ask God. Look around.
And then get in the game.
Grace & Peace,
