Skip to main content

Unseen Responsibility


  An aquarium manufacturer was in the midst of a major business crisis.  Despite their best efforts, a large percentage of its custom made glass aquariums were arriving at their destinations broken, if not completely shattered.  Desperate to figure out a shipping solution that wouldn’t break the aquariums or the bank, they turned to Edward de Bono.  De Bono was no experts in aquariums or glass or even shipping methods, he was however known for being an expert in thinking.  He had literal coined the term “lateral thinking” in his 1967 book.  His solution not only eliminated the company’s breakage problem, it also ended up saving them money in packaging as well!

  What was the solution?  Instead of packaging the aquarium for shipment, he had them instead place the label on the aquarium itself.  That way the handlers could see for themselves they were dealing with glass and mishandling it would affect them personally.  Now the packages were treated with utmost care simply because the shipper now knew the responsibility to which they were being entrusted.

  I wonder if this solution isn’t what is needed in the church as well. Over the years, we made church more about something we have people come to rather than something they are a part of.  The focus has been on improving the surroundings rather than calling people to service.  We add more programs, indulge more desires, provide more protections, and make things so easy that it seems there is no way someone won’t be involved. Yet we still see the same problems, the same attitudes the same difficulties, year after year.

  Maybe the solution isn’t in fixing the “issues” but in challenging people to see their responsibility.  For the people of God to be about the Lord’s business they must first realize it is their business. Make people a part of the ministry, not just a consumer of it.  The call of Christ is to be a servant, not to be served. 

  Notice Jesus didn’t coax people to be his disciples, he call them.  Drop what you are doing and follow me. Count the cost if you want to be my disciple (Luke 14:25-33). Take up the cross.  He let people know the responsibility to which they are entrusted and the danger they will be in if they drop it.

  We might have been spending too much time trying to protect the church and not enough time making it aware of its responsibility.  The only way to stay safe is to never leave the doors but that isn’t what we are commanded to do.  Our business isn’t survival, it is salvation.  We have a message to deliver to the world.


  If we see our responsibility, we won’t fail to make that delivery. 
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Gift You Give Yourself

    I always hated buying gifts for my Mom. If I got her something like a new set of pans, it was like saying “Here’s something you can use to go make me something to eat”. A gift for her was seemingly a gift for me.   There are however gifts you give that benefit you more than the receiver. For example, forgiveness. When you give it, you are giving it to yourself as much as you are giving it to them. Jesus said that when we forgive others it means God is forgiving us our wrongs (Matthew 6:14-15).  I once read: “ Heaven is where everyone's forgiven. Hell is where nobody's forgiven.  So, when we forgive we pull heaven down into our lives.  When we withhold forgiveness, we pull hell up into our lives ” Give yourself something nice today, Forgive.
Post a Comment
Read more

Desire

  Is it wrong to want something? I guess it depends on what we want.   The Greek language had a word ‘ orego ’ that meant “to stretch oneself out in order to touch or grasp something, often used metaphorically to denote a strong desire or aspiration for something”. Paul uses this word in 1st Timothy as a good thing (to be an elder 3:1) and a bad thing (longing for money 6:10).   Our desires oftentimes define who we are. They motivate us to action. They are the focus of our minds and actions.  And they can be both good and bad.  Sometimes we want something better and we run over people to get it. Sometimes, we want something better so we will strive to improve ourselves.  Sometimes we see people with nothing they want and we envy them. Other people will see with no desire and we pity them.  We need to desire good things. Be willing to work to get them. Care enough to try.  We need to not desire bad things. Be willing to forgo o...
Post a Comment
Read more

Until Midnight

    In Acts 20, there is the tragicomic event surrounding a young man by the name of Eutychus. He did what a lot of folks before and after him did, he fell asleep during a sermon. Unfortunately, he was setting in in the third story window at the time. So instead of nodding off and hitting the pew in front of him, he fell to his death. The good news was the apostle Paul was delivering the sermon and had the ability to bring him back.       I don’t know, however, if we can judge Eutychus too harshly. The sermon had gone on till midnight. Paul wouldn’t finish it up till daybreak. That’s a long lesson. I know some folks that might want to jump out of a window if I had a lesson that long, yet these Christians wanted to be there to hear Paul.   Don’t get me wrong, I’m not pushing for all night sermons but I think we might need to adopt these folks' dedication. They knew that Paul was only in town for a limited time only and they were determined to ...
Post a Comment
Read more