Day 3: The Resident Homeless—Contributing Versus Consuming

Some people dwell in the house of God but contribute nothing to its life, expecting the benefits of community without any investment; God calls His people to be contributors, not just consumers. Just as a roommate who never pays bills or helps out is a burden, so too is a believer who only takes from the church without giving back. True membership in God’s house means serving, giving, and participating in the work and well-being of the community, not just receiving its blessings.

1 Corinthians 12:14-18 (ESV)
“For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.”

Reflection: What is one specific way you can contribute to the life of your church this week, rather than just receiving from it?