Has anyone but me ever killed a plant? I must admit, I was not exactly born with a green thumb. My grandmother was a wonderful gardener. She could grow anything. My great uncle had acres and acres of crops. He literally grew the best pumpkins, tomatoes, peppers etc. You name it, he could grow it! Both sides of my family could produce the very best of whatever they planted. I, however, did not seem to get that gene. I could kill a cactus! Thank goodness The Lord gave some the ability to garden. I get to partake of their efforts. My abilities are different. Your abilities may be different. But isn’t it wonderful when we all get to partake of each other’s strengths?
God wants a healthy body of believers here on this earth. The Bible says we’re His ambassadors. We are to represent Him everywhere we go. The weight of that task is a little overwhelming if you ask me. Representatives of Christ? Does He really need me? What if I blow it? Well, that’s where you get to bring glory to Him by receiving His mercy and grace! Everything we do, say, hear or partake in should represent Him in some way. This seems a little heavy so let’s discuss it.
The Lord would never ask you to do anything unless He equipped you for it. That’s the truth. So, basically, it’s just you being you. That’s it! You use your skills, your talents, and your words to build others up. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. (Ephesians 4:16 NLT) This makes perfect sense! I don’t have to grow the vegetables. But I can certainly put them into a nice recipe and bless someone with a good meal. We all have a part. We’re just different parts.
“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father. (John 15:5, 8 NLT) The Lord is so pleased when we, as His body, go about our daily activities showing the world what a connection to Him looks like. We see things differently. Our reactions are different to certain situations. We don’t walk around without hope. This is what a chaotic world needs to see. For whatever reason, God chose to use us to carry out His mission! He wants our humanity to be overshadowed by His greatness so people will know it’s supernatural. We’re not operating in our own strength.
For us to stay strong and be good representatives, we have to stay connected to Jesus. We need daily time in His Word and in communication with Him. He’s got assignments that only you can carry out. There’s assignments only I can carry out. But we’re all on the same team! I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. (Ephesians 3:16-17 NLT) So, we’re only going to produce fruit from the vine we’re attached to. Stay attached to Him!
This world, more than ever, does not need to see more division. It does not need more accusations. It needs to see that Jesus is alive and well thriving in His people. They don’t need bigger bank accounts. They don’t need more status. They need Jesus! They need to see a unified body of people that stand behind a real cause. They need to know that love and acceptance is readily available through the person of Jesus Christ. The Lord wants everyone to be able to partake of His goodness and it’s only going to happen when you and I get back to our roots.
Today’s writer is Brandi Crowe. A hairdresser for over 25 years, she is currently the owner of Brandi Crowe salon in Buford, GA. She loves hiking, a good cup of coffee and spending time with family and friends. Brandi lives in a custom farmhouse with her husband, Robby and cat, Harold.