God loves his people.
It’s worth repeating that ; God LOVES his people!
If you ever doubt this just remember how Jesus wept for his friend Lazarus. Consider how Jesus reminds us of how we are valued alongside all of Creation when he speaks of the sparrows and the lilies of the field. When people ask me how can we say God loves us the answer has to be “What more can he do than die so that my sin can be dealt with?”
Paul writes about the people of God in 1 Corinthians 12: 14 – 31. He uses the image of the body to give some idea of how we are all of use and all important to each other. It’s so easy to say only certain bits matter – but it’s amazing how the body is made to be at its best and its most useful when everything works together. Some years ago now I damaged two fingers; I’ve got used to dealing with handling objects in certain ways and trays have become very useful! I can manage, but I often wish I could get the full use of my fingers back. I value them a lot more now than I used to when I took them for granted.
God loves and values everyone in his church and because of this we should love and value each other too . And we need to remember that everyone has gifts and talents given by God. What we need as a church is the discernment to recognise and encourage that gifting. Sometimes we need to consider what gifts and talents we have in our church family and gear our ministry to suit the gifts we have rather than only accept the gifts which fit in with the existing system.
As we consider the candle of the People of God we should ask ourselves just how loving we are to each other; whether we value everyone equally and whether we are encouraging everyone to use their talents and shine out for God. As we pray this through ask this as well – am I prepared to allow change if it allows others in the body of Christ to feel more valued and love?
Prayer: God who loves your people, who gives us the privilege to serve you and to work for your Kingdom, grant us the grace to see our brothers and sisters with your eyes; to discern their needs, their potential and their aspirations. Lord Jesus, who calls us to be co-workers in faith, give us all a vision of how we can work as part of your body and, through the power of the Holy Spirit, bind us together in true love. Amen