On Sunday, we looked at God’s plan for the healthy functioning of the church according to the contributions of each part of the body.

As a reminder, hear again the words of Paul:

Ephesians 4:11–16

¹¹And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, ¹²for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; ¹³until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.

¹⁴As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; ¹⁵but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, ¹⁶from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

As we consider how to live this out, here are four questions a faithful member of the body of Christ can be asking.

Am I serving the local body I call home?

The instructions in the New Testament for the use of spiritual gifts were written to local churches to be used for the benefit of those local churches. It is true that all believers are part of the universal Church. It is also true that God’s design is for members of the universal Church to function in local churches with biblical leadership, worship, and mutual edification. Whatever service to the Lord we engage in individually or as part of various organizations, we should also be able to identify some way in which we are part of the building up of the local body of Christ we call home.

Am I serving out of love or something else?

The goal of Christian service is the building up of the body in love. Thus, our ministry should be an expression of love. If we are serving because we feel guilty, fearful, or proud, our service is misguided. Serving with the wrong motive often leads to either over-commitment and burnout, or to an avoidance of serving altogether.

Am I using the gifts God has given me?

Our service to God should seek to employ the specific gifts He has given to each of us. Hands shouldn’t be doing foot work, and eyes shouldn’t be acting as elbows. One possible cause of frustration in serving is that we have not yet found the place in which our gifts are being properly used. Start serving somewhere, and then seek regular feedback from others. Soon, the combination of experience and encouragement will highlight where you are meant to be.

What are the opportunities and limitations of my season in life?

Finally, when we think of our role in the body of Christ, it is not going to look the same in every season of life. Health, age, circumstances, responsibilities, and opportunities change frequently. There are times when we may have great capacity for ministry, and there are times when we may have significant limitations. It is not the number of hours we serve or the number of ministries we participate in that matters most to God. What God is looking for is our faithfulness with what we have been given.