The Pit Crew

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. 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. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. (1 Corinthians 12:12-20 ESV).

My grandson, Logan, loves NASCAR. He and I follow Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in the chase. It is always exciting to watch a race. Of course, most of the action is typically followed on the track. There is a lot of excitement when they get four-wide on a track going nearly 200 mph. Everyone agrees that the most powerful tool a NASCAR driver has is his car; however, their car wouldn't surv¬ive one race without the care it gets from the pit crew. NASCAR pit crews are sometimes called the unsung heroes of the sport. That's because they keep the car and the driver going, but they often get very little credit. However, those who are in the know recognize that NASCAR crew members are an integral part of every NASCAR victory and are superb athletes in their own right. Imagine the frustration a race car driver would feel if he pulled in for a pit stop only to see half of the pit crew remain on the other side of the wall. What if the tire changer sat sulking because he wasn’t allowed to fill the gas tank? Silly isn’t it? As crazy as that sounds, it happens all too often in churches where members find themselves merely sitting on the sidelines. They have been created by God, redeemed by Christ, and equipped with gifts through the Holy Spirit, but they are not using the gifts God has entrusted to them. This not only hurts the joy and fruitfulness of the believer but it is also harmful for the overall ministry of the church. The apostle speaks to that in our reading today. When we neglect to identify or use our spiritual gifts, the whole body suffers. A part of the fundamental of personal and corporate growth is identifying and developing the unique talents and gifts that God has given us for service in the church and beyond. My encouragement to you today is to do that. Even if you have been hurt along the way, don’t quit. Find that place where you best fit and persevere within that gift. If you have somehow fallen into the trap of believing your gifts and talents are not as important as others, remember the pit crew. Every one of them is essential to win the race!