Robbing the Body of Christ seems like a pretty serious charge. In fact, the title you just read may have made you feel a bit uncomfortable. That’s OK! The Bible commands that we should all “examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith.” While it’s easy to look at this title and immediately assume your own innocence, there are many ways that we can deprive the Body of Christ. Take some time to examine yourself and find out if you are guilty of shortchanging the Body of Christ in any way.
Are You Robbing the Body of Christ of Your Time?
Each of us are afforded 24 hours on any given day. What we do with that time is completely up to us. Even if it feels like those 24 hours are packed full of obligations, we are still called to spend our time trying to further the Kingdom of God. Paul worded it this way in his letter to the church at Ephesus in Ephesians 5:16 (ESV):
“making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.”
There is actually a Biblical mandate for responsible time management! Let’s assume that you spend 8 hours of your day at work and sleep for another 8 hours every night. You spend part of the remaining 8 hours caring for your family, perhaps exercising and fulfilling other responsibilities. How do you find the time to advance the Kingdom of God when it seems like all 24 hours are already spoken for?!
First of all, it is vital that you spend time in God’s word. People commonly say, “I just don’t have time to read my Bible.” Thankfully, we live in a technological age where you can access the Word of God on your phone. This includes the ability to have your phone read your Bible to you, perhaps during your commute to and from work every day! In order to effectively advance the Kingdom, God’s children must be armed with the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Eph 6:17). Knowing God’s Word enables us to effectively provide Godly advice to other members of the Body of Christ who are suffering hardship.
It is also vital that you spend time every day in prayer. Paul commanded the Thessalonian church to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). This concept seems intense, as though we are supposed to spend 24 hours a day with our heads bowed and our eyes closed, but that is not what Paul is commanding. Instead, we are called to be in a constant communication with God. When we walk in an attitude of prayer, we are fully submitted to God’s will and allow ourselves to maintain an open line of communication with Him. We should constantly be in prayer for opportunities to minister to those around us while also asking God for the knowledge about how to take advantages of these opportunities and the boldness to do so.
If you are not spending time every day communing with God, you may be robbing the Body of Christ of your time. Allow God to show you ways that you can better use your time to fulfill His divine purpose for your life.
Are You Robbing the Body of Christ of Your Money?
Discussing finances can be a touchy subject, even within the church. However, the only topic that Jesus spoke about more than money was the Kingdom of God. That means that Jesus Christ spent more time teaching on how to handle your finances in a Godly way than he spoke about faith, prayer, healing and a host of other topics that we like to focus on. The 66 books of your Bible discuss money more than 2,300 times! Obviously, God is interested in your finances.
John Wesley famously once said, “The last part of a man to be converted is his wallet.” Studies indicate that the average American works more than 1800 hours per year. All of us get up and go to work every day for one reason: to make money. We need money to pay our bills, care for our families and meet our needs and wants. However, God expects us to handle our finances in a way that is pleasing to Him.
There is a great deal of debate on the concept of tithing. Under the Old Testament law, God’s people were commanded to give 10% of their first fruits and their flocks to the temple. However, the word “tithe” never comes up in the New Testament. We aren’t going to debate the concept of tithing in the modern church, but there is no getting around the fact that Christians are called to give of their financial resources to the Church.
In his second letter to the church of Corinth, Paul informs them that, “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor 9:7). Without giving a dollar amount, Paul simply tells this body of believers that God loves when we happily give of our financial resources to His kingdom. Afterall, the local church cannot meet the physical needs of those in your community without financial resources.
Allow God to direct you on how to be obedient to Him in your finances. Once you submit this area of your life to God’s plan for you, He can begin to use you as a vessel to further His kingdom on Earth.
Are You Robbing the Body of Christ of Your Talents?
Each of us are equipped with special skills and abilities. As unique as our fingerprints, the things that God has blessed each of us to excel in are unique to us. Many people look at the list of spiritual gifts that Paul provides in 1 Corinthians 12 and feel like we don’t measure up to any of those. After all, Paul speaks on gifts of healing, prophecy and a host of other gifts that seem as though they are reserved for spiritual giants. While that’s not the case, and those gifts are available to everyday people like us, there are other ways that your talents can help further God’s kingdom.
Perhaps you are a gifted musician. While you may enjoy spending your free time simply playing music in your home, is there an opportunity for you to use this gift to serve your local church? Maybe you have a gift for public speaking? It’s possible that your pastor needs a Sunday off to simply hear the Word of God instead of delivering it every week.
But the talents that God has given you don’t have to involve being in front of a crowd every week. If you are gifted in administration, look for ways to help your local church in that area. Many small churches don’t have the resources to have an entire paid staff, and your pastor or church leadership may need someone to help with basic record keeping and other administrative needs. If you are a gifted organizer, look for ways that you can head up outreach programs in your community. Your talents are an essential part of furthering the kingdom of God in your area.
None of us want to acknowledge that we may be guilty of robbing the Body of Christ on some level. However, if we are not using the fulness of the resources that we have at our disposal for Godly means, we are doing just that. Part of growing and maturing as a Christian is allowing God to show you areas where you need to improve, including ways that you can do more to fulfill God’s plan for this world.
Once you have examined yourself in these areas, ask God to help you with them:
God, I’m thankful that you are showing me ways that I have been robbing the Body of Christ. First of all, I repent of these things, and I am ready to do more for Your kingdom and Your glory. God, show me opportunities to better use my time, my resources and my talents to fulfill Your purpose. Give me the knowledge o properly discern which opportunities to take and grant me the boldness to follow through when the opportunities that You present come available. I want to do more for You and want to be an active part of the Body of Christ. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen!