Be Counted

In team sports, there exists a concept known as the squad, a group of players from which a coach selects a team for matches or competitions. It's possible for a player to be part of this squad yet never participate in the tournaments their team wins. In many sporting events, individuals in this situation, despite being part of the squad and sharing in the celebration, often do not receive medals. Even if they do, they are seldom mentioned in history books when fans recount the team's victories.

In essence, they were part of the team but are not counted. This is a typical example of many believers' Christian Walk. You get saved and are amazed by all the wonderful things you get to enjoy in Christ. You love being part of the team, you’re a believer, but God doesn’t want it to end there. His intent is that if you’re on the team, you contribute.

Romans 12:1 NIV

[1] Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

When you think about God's mercy, it should prompt a response of worship, which involves living for Him. Can you say unequivocally what you are doing for God that contributes to the spread of His Gospel? This is a question you should always be able to answer at any moment. Who is hearing God's word because of your service? Who is a better Christian because of your contribution? Who are you praying for? What are you adding?

It's time to start deploying yourself. You’re not going to church just to improve yourself; it’s a training ground to equip you for God's work. It's time to move beyond a mindset of consumption and allow others to benefit from the grace you carry. God has called you to do His work (Ephesians 4:11-13).

You know the popular childhood song "Are You in the Lord’s Army?" It’s good that you avoid the things it lists, stealing, lying, fighting, but that’s not enough. The goal of your Christian life should not stop at being morally upright. God has called us to be ambassadors, representing Him to the world. It is a mindset to embrace, constantly seeking ways to advance God’s agenda on the earth. If you have been enlisted in Gods army, play your role.

2 Corinthians 5:17-18 ESV

[17] Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. [18] All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;

When the Bible talks about us becoming a new creation, it’s not just about stopping the bad things we used to do and doing good things. It means we now have a ministry of reconciliation that shapes our entire lifestyle. The Apostle is saying that before you came to Christ, you didn’t care about helping others reconcile with God or work toward it, but now it is a responsibility engraved in your heart.

Think about it, people prayed for you to be saved and discipled. Someone preached to you so you could know Christ. You had godly parents and children’s teachers who contributed heavily to your growth. You have benefited from the music, books, podcasts, generosity, and creativity of others to be established in the faith. Now, what are you going to do to help others get saved and discipled?

In the famous words of the late great Dr Myles Munroe "The wealthiest place on the surface of the earth is the cemetery, because there you will see the books that were not published, ideas that were not harnessed, companies that were never started, sermons that were never preached, songs that were not sung, and drama pieces that were never acted. In the cemetery is buried the greatest treasure of untapped potential." Don't die without letting the world benefit of the gift of God on your inside.

Let the lord use you to be a blessing. Go get to work and be counted. There are destinies attached to your obeying God.

I really loved this write up below from Jed's newsletter. It speaks to those of you who know what God will have you do but are holding back.

GO!