See That Each One Does His or Her Part
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This ideal of how God wants us to work together is expressed by the words of the Apostle Paul in Eph 4:16, “From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”
Seeing that every Christian does his or her part in what God wants done forces our spirits to elevate God. Working together with other believers to get those most resistant to a life of faith, obedience, and work is a tough assignment. This Together is not for the “weak of heart”. Within Christian fellowships, it seems it is seen as inappropriate to apply even mild pressure to someone for the purpose of them doing more for God than that with which they are comfortable.
We don’t think about it, but letting other Christians coast along in their life without participating when they are needed puts what God wants as not as important as everyone being comfortable. However, our spirits will strengthen toward God if we step out and urge each believer to do his or her part.
Seeing that each one does his or her part also prepares those who implement it for positions of management in heaven. This Together develops an ability to see a whole project and how each person fits into it. Citizens of heaven without their spirits having this management requirement will have to fill places of service where what God wants plus seeing the whole picture of the tasks at hand – are not required.
From time to time a friendship group will face a task of love that clearly God wants them to do. If it is to support and help one of the friends find a job, it is the task of the friendship group to see that everyone contributes to this end. Suppose that in a group of five friends, one rather shy person has contacts that might be of help if she or he inquired. Perhaps that contact of the shy friend could ask the human relations department at work what job positions are open. It would be the task of the other four friends to help this shy person do her or his part.
Or suppose that the one looking for work is lazy and does not try to be productive. The group of friends bring this character flaw up, but there is resistance to their loving confrontation. Everyone but the person’s best friend participates, but the group needs the best friend to speak up. He or she has the most influence and needs to be helped to do his or her part.
This story of mine shows how a family might see that each member does his or her part.
The Wilson Family volunteered to watch the dog of Mrs. Jackson who had to go into the hospital for a week. Her dog was her whole life, being her only companion day in and day out. This was a job that needed everybody to work as a team. So, the Wilson Family held a special meeting where they all saw that each one of them took part of the responsibility.
“Who can hang out with the dog most of the time?” they asked. Four-year-old Mickey raised his hand. The family decided that he had the most time since he was not yet in school. Mom would back him up, as she was not going to return to work until Mickey was in third grade Mickey’s 15-year-old sister would take care of feeding the dog. Mickey’s dad would take the dog on walks every morning and evening. Mom would be in contact with Mrs. Jackson every day to give a report on how the dog was doing.
The family decided to check on each person at dinnertime to see that everyone was doing their part and solve any problems that came up.
In seeing that each Christian in one’s Christian Inner Circle does his or her part in the work of God, we must work together to help everyone see that he or she is needed. We try not to let any one of our close Christian friends or relatives disregard or slight the faith and lose heavenly reward.
God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, our one God in three persons, worked together for our salvation and continue to work for our sanctification. From this we can see that the kingdom of heaven is one of working together to accomplish whatever God desires.
Since we are to work together for God’s purposes, it is important that each Christian do his or her part. We have to overcome our individualistic view of faith and recognize that teams of Christians are called to do much of what God wants done. Christian friendship groups, Christian families, and Christian marriages are the teams with the most assignments from God.
Since each person is indispensable for most of the tasks assigned by God; one missing part can thwart the work God wants done. Therefore, for the sake of God’s glory, we cannot allow those in our Christian Inner Circles not do their parts – not do what God has called and equipped them to do. Often a significant task for God requires a team of Christians with different talents, different experiences and different spiritual gifts.
Seeing that each does his or her part in any task assigned by God, does not mean being “bossy” unless it is an emergency situation. The first thing to do is tell the person that their participation is needed because of their skills or other qualifications. If there is not agreement to contribute their portion of the work of God, it might help to explain that God wants the task done and it will be much harder without their involvement. If that does not motivate, patience is required. The next step will probably be to ask why he or she does not want to do what he or she can do for God’s glory. After that, it might be best to back off, pray for that person to see the value of their contribution to the work of God, to have confidence in what they would contribute, and to change their mind and get involved. After that, an occasional invitation to join in the effort or future efforts is called for.
Satan loves inadequate jobs done for God by His people. This dishonors God and fits in with the goal of the devil. God’s people together are equipped to give God close to perfection. Jesus lives in each Christian and every team doing something for God’s glory. Every time somebody who is supposed to be in on the action is not, God does not receive the results He desires. Sure, God can fill in for the missing person’s contribution, but He wants us to love Him enough to get everyone doing their own part.
In an orchestra each musician appreciates the harmony. Each musician participates with his or her instrument. But, the conductor hears the whole of the symphony and how and just when each musician is to play his or her part. Those of us who now help everyone do their part in tasks for the Lord are preparing to be one kind of conductor or another later in heaven.
Everyone of us can obey this biblical instruction to see that each one of us does his or her part and qualifies for some job in heaven that manages people. We don’t really know what specific jobs will exist in heaven, but it is likely on the new earth, for example, that there are hotels in gorgeous places. Many will need to clean rooms, cook food, and other such services.
Someone will have the job of managing the kitchen staff. And, someone will be in charge of the whole hotel operation. While it might seem that this is only conjecture, Jesus did give us this peek into heaven when he told of the servants who were entrusted with money to invest in some way and increase the king’s wealth. The servant who earned ten times what he was given was put in charge of ten cities. The servant who earned five times what he was given was put in charge of five cities.
Can you imagine a mayor in heaven not having the skills or loyalty to God to be able to direct others to do their part in making the city’s society run smoothly as God would want? Can you imagine a mayor in heaven – remember, we are thinking of heaven here – can you imagine a mayor in heaven not being able to be aware of all of the city’s needs and the part each citizen needed to contribute to it being what God would want?
No, mayors, if they exist on the new earth of heaven, will be those with spirits to make what God wants the very most important thing. And, they will be those with spirits that can get others to do their part in whatever God wants. They will be those who saw that others did their parts in the work of God back before death.
Here is a little story illustrating this concept.
As mayor of a little mountain town on the new earth, I get to go to a “small town mayor’s meeting” once every two months. There, I and other small town mayors visit with Jesus and find out what He wants us to do in our town management duties. This meeting with God is exuberant, business only taking up a small amount of time. The rest of the time in this magnificent castle we spend visiting with one another. Jesus joins our small conversation circles from time to time.
In case you are curious, mayors of large cities meet at this castle once a week. Before death they were better than we at seeing that everyone did their part in the work of God. That is okay with me. They deserve the higher reward and I am happy for them.
But, I wish that all those who never get to come to this conference center near the throne of God had paid more attention to getting other Christians with whom they had influence into the action to accomplish God’s purposes back in that evil culture.
We can peek into heaven through a few of Jesus’ parables of the kingdom. In one of them, Jesus talked of a king calling his subjects to him to tell them what to do. The point here is that some subjects had more contact with the king than others. And, the distinction was that the king was going to tell them something to do, something, that if they did it right, would result in a reward with some sort of management responsibility.
So, whether there are business meetings at the throne of God in heaven or some other way of taking orders, those of us rewarded with management duties can expect extra meetings with our Lord. And, I doubt it will be like being called into meetings with coffee and donuts. No, it will be more like management meetings in wealthy organizations with fine food and drink.
Many of us want some level of responsibility in heaven for managing others, maybe not being a mayor in charge of a whole city, but perhaps being in charge of its parks, or being the manager of a small store of some kind. If so, we need to prepare for heaven now by seeing that each one does his or her part in our Christian friendship groups, in our Christian families, and in our Christian marriages.
Even if we do not want responsibility for others in heaven for all eternity, we still must make sure that at least one person in our Christian Inner Circle does help people to do their parts so that God will get what He wants. The command is for us to work together to see that each does his or her part. So, everyone does not need to lead, but everyone needs to help out with encouragement and other applicable Togethers.
Since getting people to do their part when they are resistant takes more loyalty to God than devotion to our own comfort, we grow in dedication to what God wants. By seeing that others do their part, we elevate God by prioritizing His purposes. In heaven we will have more joy at things there that God wants.
Let’s see that those Christians we most care about do their part in the work of God. If they do not, they will be losing treasure in heaven. And their quality of life in heaven will be less, even though they will be 100% satisfied.
Managing people in heaven will be pure joy. There won’t be sin, so those managed for the work of God will not grumble and be completely happy to serve others. No backbiting. No resenting management.
Managers will treat those they oversee with love and respect. It will be wonderful to have great relationships with everyone a manager directs.
Most important, managers will have the thrill of giving God what He wants. Seeing whatever you are in charge of come out okay will be quite rewarding, and there will probably be no wishing it had turned out better.
I guess it is possible that in heaven no one will make any mistakes, but I don’t think so. There are mistakes that do not come from sin. Imagine that in heaven you are learning to cook some complicated and exquisite omelet. Will the first one you cook come out perfect? Why would we think that? Sure, heaven will be perfect, but can’t it be perfect like a day when we are teaching one of our children to ride a bike and they make mistakes? Perfection in heaven probably does not mean people will not need to be taught and managed.