One Sunday morning, a deacon came before a large congregation and requested volunteers after services who would be willing to do some maintenance work around the building after services. That very same morning, the charismatic and schematic preacher came before the audience in his strapping suit and delivered a strong sermon on the need for workers in the Lord’s Kingdom. At the end of the sermon, a husband looked to his wife and said, “That’s what the church needs! The church needs more men like him.” However, it only appeared to be lip-service. After services, that powerful preacher didn’t answer the humble appeal of the deacon and was nowhere to be found when the work was abounded. Late that night, the couple noticed the lights were still bright in the building. So, they drove by the door and could see that humble deacon mopping the floors of the church building. As they both observed with great clarity his servant’s heart, the wife said to her husband, “That’s what the church needs! The church needs more like him.”
The church has many needs. We need men who can teach, preach, lead singing, lead prayers, serve as deacons, serve as elders, and do personal work. We need women who can teach other ladies, teach children, serve as elder’s wives, serve as deacon’s wives, serve as preacher’s wives, prepare meals, send cards, and make visits.
But, for a moment, I want to suggest some general abilities that we all can and should develop, abilities which the church needs today.
- Availability. To many in the church possess inaccessibility to their life regarding the church, but we need more with availability. In the church today, we need to possess the attitude of Isaiah when called upon by God, in Isaiah 6:8, “Here am I! Send me.”
- Dependability. We could always use more Christians with dependability. In the words of Paul, in Timothy 2:2, “And the things you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”
- Teachability. Our ability to accomplish God’s will is diminished if we have not teachability. It was said of those in Berea in Acts 17:11, “…they received the word with all readiness, and searched the scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.”
- Adaptability. Paul was the master adapter, as he claimed in 1 Corinthians 9:22, “To the weak, I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might save some.”
- Likability. Our Savior is the King of Kings but spoke the common man’s language in His ministry. It was said of Jesus, in Mark 12:37, “Therefore David himself calls Him “Lord”; how is He then his Son?” And the common people heard him gladly.”
- Immovability. To many possess mobility when it comes to their spiritual priorities. We need more Christians who possess immovability! As Paul wrote, in 1 Corinthians 15:58, “Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.”
- Accountability. Even the Prodigal realized his accountability to his father, when he said to his father, in Luke 15:21, “Father, I have sinned against Heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.”
There might be many roles you never play and abilities you do not possess in the Lord’s church. However, there are some general abilities we can all possess. We can all be more available for the Lord’s work, dependable as a Christian, teachable as a student of God’s word, adaptable to all manner of situations, likable to the common man, immovable in our spiritual priorities, and accountable to God and our brethren. That’s the type of Christian the church needs today.
