Day 31: Roles and Positions

The spiritual gifts given to each person when born of the Holy Spirit make the person ideally suited to minister specific needs of others. When your primary ministry aligns with your gifting and you get to serve in a role that resonates with your passions and experience, you are in a rare situation. The needs of the local church often require us to serve in secondary roles which are not clearly connected with our gifting. In such a case, you'll probably be operating far outside your comfort zone. But, don't be afraid to do it, because, serving the needs of the Church is the most important thing you can do. The eternal reward is absolutely worth any momentary discomfort. Have you given much thought to your role in the Church? Do you know what you've been especially equipped to do? Do you see needs outside your equipping that are not presently being met by anyone?

The Bible says the Church is the body of Christ with every believer an essential part. Let's see how deep we can push this analogy in biology. In the early 1950's scientists looked deeply into heredity and reproduction and discovered the nature of the code that defines our genome, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). The shape, function, and activity in every cell is governed by the DNA in the cell (both the nuclear DNA and mitochondrial DNA).

Everything the cell does happens as a direct result of the proteins encoded by the DNA…everything the cell does including reproducing itself. Here are some important details that God designed into our physical biology to help us to see deeply into the analogy:

Every cell in your body has the same DNA. More than similar, it's the same sequence. (All who are “born of the Spirit” have the same new nature.)

Exceptions are called mosaics. In nature, mosaics can produce interesting shapes and colors on plants. Though humans naturally have some mosaics (including gametes, brain cells, and some immune system cells), mosaics are often the root of disease and cancer. (Wolves and sheep in the Church have different DNA...Matt 7:15-20, Matt 25:32-33)

Parts of nuclear DNA come from our father and parts from our mother. It is interesting that all our mitochondrial DNA comes directly from our mother. (All in the Spirit yield common fruit.)

DNA carries the code for all proteins the body needs. Different cells simply express different genes. For example, bone cells, heart cells, and the cells in the cornea simply express different regions of the DNA. (There are different ways to channel God’s love to others...but, love is our common aim.)

Each cell's “gene expression pattern” is determined by information from both inside and outside the cell. It's not a decision the cell makes. It's a direct function of chemicals in and around the cell. (We should love everywhere in whatever way that circumstances create needs.)

What “mitochondrial DNA” might the Holy Spirit have passed to everyone born of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-25)?

Christ, being the head, might be expected to have a unique DNA from the body. Would you think other mosaics in the Church are intentionally designed, bacterial invaders, or disease?

Can you imagine how you might have to express your spiritual DNA differently at different times to meet needs of the Church?

In the previous section, we included Eph 4:11 as a list of spiritual gifts.

Eph 4:11 And he himself gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, that is, to build up the body of Christ, (NET)

Do these sound more like gifts or positions and jobs to you? What is the work of ministry anyway?

Interdependent