God's Groups
How many men does it take to pull a blind? A couple of weeks ago we found the answer to be five – plus one lady to suggest they stand on a chair! How do we choose whether to participate or to just sit and watch (as the rest of us did)? When tasks present do we leap forward with alacrity or cower at the back and hope someone else will speak up first?
The words that strike dread into my heart are “let us get into groups”. Nowadays no one can drowse through study days, no longer does someone stand at the front and talk for the entire time, passive education is out. The tendency is for the tutor to randomly label everyone A, B, C or D and then ask all the A’s to work together and so on. However, if asked to form groups does one accept the challenge and go with strangers or stick with a friend and miss the chance to meet and learn from, or minister to, those strangers?
How does God pick His groups? Do we have any choice in the matter? If He is omnipotent and omniscient, will we not end up doing exactly what He wishes? Jonah tried to run away from what he knew he had to do, but that big fish just took him on to where God wanted him anyway (Jonah 2). God gave us freedom of will but He hoped we would choose to be in His team. He selected every one of us long before we were born and is saddened if we do not accept His way as our own. There are to be no wallflowers, no onlookers. In the Bible different groups are identified by their similarities or things they have in common. The Benjaminites had seven hundred left-handed sling-wielding marksmen (Judges 20:15), even Jacob’s sheep had a distinctive colouration (Gen. 30:39-40) but they were not individually chosen by God for His specific purpose. That is our privilege.
Every human being ever born or yet to be born is called to be in one of His groups, however, He does not expect us all to do the same thing and has, therefore, given us different gifts (1 Cor. 12:1-11). Once we have identified our gifts we are expected to use them appropriately and it is from the fruits or these labours that we are to be recognised as Christians. However, we must avoid using good gifts to do evil (Matt. 7 15:23). It is God’s reputation not ours that is on the line – God’s goodness and loving kindness must be publicised and shared. As we say at the end of every service “We are ONE together in love”. We are the body of Christ and each individual part is dependant on the others.
