“For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.”
Romans 1:11-12 ESV
When it comes to our participation in and with the church, we tend to have one aim. One objective guides our choice of the church we’ll attend. And that one aim, that one objective, is what we receive from it.
If we prefer a certain style of music or worship, we seek out a church that offers it. If we’re musically gifted, we seek a church with a strong music ministry. If we have children, we seek out a church with a lot of children and ministries aimed at them. We tend to seek out a church where people are our age, that we might better relate to them. The examples are endless.
And this makes sense to a point. It makes sense that we’d want to be ministered to. But we often take it to the extreme. We look only at what we’ll receive rather than what we might give.
As we look at the words of Paul, in the passage above, we see a far different attitude. He had yet to visit the believers in Rome. And he earnestly desired to do so.
He desired to do so for two reasons. He desired to do so that he might impart to them some spiritual gift to strengthen them. He, in other words, wanted to minister to them and to be a blessing to them. But, at the same time, he wanted to be encouraged by them.
His desire was that they might be a mutual blessing, one to the other. And this, you see, is what we’re often missing. Although we want to be blessed by our church, few of us actively seek to be a blessing to our church.
Although we want to be served, we’re unwilling to serve. Although we want to be taught, we’re unwilling to teach. And although we want to be encouraged, we’re unwilling to be an encouragement.
Although you understand what I’m trying to say, perhaps you object to this. Perhaps you do so, noting that Paul was an apostle. He was a minister of the gospel. And, for this reason, he should desire to be a blessing to the church.
We must realize, however, that the same is true of each of us. I’m not suggesting, of course, that we’re all apostles in the same sense as Paul. But we are all called and gifted by God to serve the church. We’re called and gifted by God to bless the church.
If we notice an area in the church where ministry is lacking, if there is a need that clearly isn’t being met, this isn’t our cue to go out in search of a new church where our need will be satisfied. It’s, rather, our cue to bring this to the attention of the church that the situation might be remedied. It may also be our cue to step up and to take leadership in this area. It may be our cue to begin providing ministry in the area that is lacking.
Our ambition, again, is that we might be a mutual encouragement to one another. Our ambition is, most certainly, to receive the ministry of the church. But it’s also to provide ministry to the church. It’s both to be blessed, as well as to be a blessing.
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