Monday 28 June 2021

Did you say : complementarity ? (1)

Ephesians 4:11 and 12 - And he gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, some as pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry and the building up of the body of Christ,

I would like us to think a bit about the complementarity of the departments. Each ministry has its specificity but it is not complete in itself. It is very important, if we are in the service of God, to know our sphere of service as well as our "limits". The goal being to “perfect the saints”, God calls us to equip his children in the field which is ours but... it is essential that we find other servants to balance this formation. Think of the image of someone who always strengthens his left arm but never strengthens his right arm.

I am talking about this because in many communities there is a glaring imbalance. Depending on the leadership, the community will be all for the prophetic, or all for theology, or all for evangelization, or even all for the welfare of the flock. We thus find members who are very advanced in one area, but very poor in the other.

The prophetic movement is a very good thing, but it needs solid scriptural support. The “prophet” must be able to surround himself with the “doctor”. Conversely, the doctor needs the prophetic voice for the letter to come to life. Pastoral care is great, but the initial ministry of the church is still picking up the lost even if it is uncomfortable. Conversely, if the church is always on the front line without any care, the losses will be great.

Unfortunately, what often happens is that the communities invite ministries that resemble them and the gap is not filled. My beloved, if we are responsible for a community, let us think about this. Let us have the humility to recognize our limits, let us seek our complement on the spot (the Lord has often put at our side talents which complement us), and if he is not there, let us seek the ministry which will strengthen the weak side of us. our community. Then we will reap strong men and women in the faith.

Good reflection.

Source (Ezekiel 37 Ministries)