Have you ever noticed, if a container of water sits outside long enough, it begins to develop mold? I had the privilege of dealing with this when our family returned home from Uplift. We have an inflatable pool for the kids that I thought I secured against the wall. Well, the rains came and the winds blew, and the pool filled with water. I had NEVER seen so much growth in one small body of water. It looked like a science experiment in the late stages. It was nasty, but with a little bit of bleach and pressured water, it became like new!
Have you ever noticed, if a group of people sit long enough? Nothing grows. There is no movement, great conditions for “mold” to grow. Churches will not grow if the body is not doing their part. When there is little activity or involvement, the church will become a body that comes and goes and is unable to show signs of health and growth. There is a serious epidemic plaguing churches, it is called “stagnititis”. It is taking over lives that were once active and involved. It can be contracted when one thinks they are not needed or that other people will take care of things. The thought, “I will just show up and leave. Everything else will be done by others” is one of the easiest ways to contract this harmful disease. This is not a new disease. It has been around for centuries. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul explains to the church in Corinth how each person plays a vital role in the body. In verse 27, he writes, “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” In this passage, I cannot help but see a group of people aware of things needing to be accomplished but not feeling they were needed. If we call ourselves Christians, we are part of the body of Christ. We all play a role. He wants to use us!
I cannot help but wonder if we all lived by the words in Ephesians 6:7 “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men…” It does not matter if the way the leadership does things, or the songs that are sung, or the sermons that are taught! It is about reaching the lost and making a difference for the Kingdom! What is the cure for stagnititis? We have to move, be active, and function as part of the body.
I believe that God can do great things in our communities and churches if we will allow Him to! However, it is going to require an active response from those who claim to be His children. We cannot expect everyone else to do it all. Can God do it all? Sure He can, however, He created us to play an active role in the process. Get active and watch what God can do!
