We Each Have A Part

Someone tell me what this is...

Picture of puzzle

Has anyone ever worked for a really long time on a puzzle? My wife and I did one time. We worked all through the day on this 500 piece puzzle. We worked and worked and worked.

And finally it seemed like we were nearing the end of the puzzle. There was only one piece left…I grabbed it and placed it onto the puzzle and we stepped back and looked and we saw something that looked like this.

What!? We were missing a piece! So we began to search all over. Under the table, the couch, in between the cushions. But we couldn’t find that stinkin’ piece!

So we gave up.

We weren’t able to finish the table. We resigned to defeat. The puzzle ended up in the trash after all that hard work. After all, what good is a puzzle without all of the pieces?

Did you know, in many ways you might be just like that missing piece?

It’s true. In fact, I want to read a passage of Scripture that shares the fact that each of us have a place in God’s puzzle.

It comes from the book of Romans.

It says this:

New International Reader’s Version Chapter 12

3God’s grace has been given to me. So here is what I say to every one of you. Don’t think of yourself more highly than you should. Be reasonable when you think about yourself. Keep in mind the amount of faith God has given you.

4Each of us has one body with many parts. And the parts do not all have the same purpose. 5So also we are many persons. But in Christ we are one body. And each part of the body belongs to all the other parts.

6We all have gifts. They differ in keeping with the grace that God has given each of us. Do you have the gift of prophecy? Then use it in keeping with the faith you have. 7Is it your gift to serve? Then serve. Is it teaching? Then teach. 8Is it telling others how they should live? Then tell them. Is it giving to those who are in need? Then give freely. Is it being a leader? Then work hard at it. Is it showing mercy? Then do it cheerfully.

Whenever Paul speaks of Christ’s church he calls it a body. Just like your body, the Church of God has many different parts.

It’s like a puzzle with many different pieces.

Just like a body, the church has many different parts. Each with it’s own purpose. Does your hand do what you elbow does?

It’s the same thing with the Church ever person has a place that they belong!

So how do we know where we fit into God’s puzzle?

Well, Paul says that you need to look at your gifts! Where are your gifts?

Wherever your gifts and your passions intersect, there you can find your purpose. You can find where you fit in God’s puzzle.

For me, I’m good at talking about God. That’s a gift that God’s given me. I also have a passion for the Bible. So whenever I see where my gift and my passion intersect…that’s where I found where I belong. A pastor!

You have to pray and ask God the same thing. Where do I fit in? Every one of you fits in somewhere. It’s up to you to find it.

I will tell you that without you, God’s puzzle looks like this. He wants you. He needs you to be a part. You just have to find where you fit.