Acts 2:44
All the Lord's followers often met together, and they shared everything they had.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
You may have never prepared food for a potluck meal, but I bet you’ve eaten one! The beauty of a potluck is that no one person has to prepare every single dish. Time, money, and culinary talents are combined to create something delicious and enjoyable for all.
Imagine if your church held a potluck dinner, and everyone showed up to eat, but nobody brought a covered dish! Or suppose there were dishes provided – a couple of pies, a salad, and one casserole – and dozens of hungry people were standing in line with plates and utensils.
Sadly, this is a pretty good analogy for how Christian service looks. Needy people who are hungry for God’s word and His love are standing in line with their “plates” in their hands, but nobody is showing up to serve them … and what is provided is merely a drop in the bucket.
Christian service should resemble a potluck. Each Christian should share his/her time, talents, money and abilities for the benefit of the entire group. No one person should have to do everything – no one person can! But each person can do what God calls him/her to do, and the effects will be multiplied exponentially.
It’s a funny thing … we’re all eager to get in line with our “plate and fork” and be served by God. We all understand the “getting” end of Christian nurture. But we have all sorts of handy excuses for why we can’t – or won’t – give in return. We can change this. We can start now to make a difference. We can ask ourselves – or our fellow Christians – where our services would fit the best, and then we can get busy contributing as much as possible. In the Kingdom of God, there is always a “potluck” somewhere. The question is … what will you take to the table?
©2010 Debbie Robus
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