I love the power of a good question. I believe the Lord uses questions to continue to grow and mature us. A wonderful question popped into my mind this week. The question was, “Am I living this life as a participator or a spectator?” It is very easy to sit back and watch life pass us by but our relationship with Jesus is one of partnership and participation. Spectators are for watching sports matches and games. Spectators watch other people participating and live vicariously through them.
In a quick review of the book of Acts, I see a beautiful story that we have inherited to be our story. The entire story is one of participation. The book of Acts is filled with everyone doing their part. It is a story of a family that is living on a mission…Jesus’ mission. It is Jesus’ mission to seek and to save the lost. Everyone is needed and wanted.
I remember as a kid going to roller skating parties. They would have different people skating at different times. There would be the racing times (which I never won), all girls skating, and all boys skating time. I remember growing restless until they called the all skate time. It was the time when everyone was called to the floor no matter their strengths or weaknesses. No matter their limitations or pedigree. Everyone was called to the floor. It was an all-in moment. This is the reality of the kingdom of God.
Believers have been given the beauty and power of the Word, the endowment with power from on high, and everything that we would need for life and godliness to participate in the extending of his kingdom. Christianity is not a spectator sport. It is embracing the knowledge that you are a player on the field. You are a needed player on God’s team to extend his kingdom.
Take a moment and assess your life. Are you currently participating and engaging in furthering the kingdom of God? Are you currently living in the spiritual gifts that he has given to you to build His church? Or are you merely observing others and celebrating their victories? Know this, we will find our lives when we lose them for the sake of the Gospel. When we participate, and give our lives away to others, we find unspeakable joy.
Recently I received a testimony from a man that was explaining how discontent and disappointed he was living. He was thinking about all the things that he did not have and wanted. An amazing thing happened in his life. He went on to explain that he started to pray for other people one hour a day. He explained that this was nothing less than a miracle had happened in his life. He had found joy in life as he participated with the Lord in prayer. Disappointment is far from him as he prayed God’s will into existence. It is an amazing reality that when we move from spectator to participator, we see the life that we all long for. Today, take Jesus’ his hand and participate with Him through the Word, prayer, and listening to the voice of the spirit to minister to those around you.