We Need The "You" Joint In The Church

I heard a minister say yesterday that we need all the "you joints" in church. That set my mind to thinking about "U" joints in vehicles, and wallah, a blog was born. I wasn't really sure what a universal joint in a car does, so I did what all of us do now-a-days, I googled it. And this is what I found:

"U joints are used in drive-shafts to allow the shaft to flex under load and still be able to transmit power from one end to the other. The engine and transmission vibrate as they are under power because of the pounding action of the pistons while they go up and down. Then the twisting force of the drive-shaft pushes against the transmission as it spins, and the rear axle flexes up and down on spins as the car rolls over bumps. If the drive-shaft were one solid piece, all of that extra motion would be impossible to manage and the drive-shaft would break. So they put a U Joint on each end, and sometimes one in the middle, and the drive-shaft can bend and flex while it spins."

So the U joint if broken, keeps the car from moving. Now let's look at a Scripture, and I'll tie all of this together for you. 1 Corinthians 12:18: "But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased Him." Here Paul is talking about the church, not our actual physical bodies. He is saying that God has set each and every one of us in the church where He wants us. (If we've actually taken the time to listen to His voice that is.)

My friend Pastor Daniel Shirley made this statement while we were having lunch yesterday. "If God set you in the body as He pleased, do you think He might be displeased if you take yourself out?" What a great question. If in fact God has led you to a church body to be a part of it, and you through reasons other than God instructing you to move on, decide that it is time to leave that church, do you think that will please God?

So here's the thing, God is the power source (The engine.) and we are the "You Joints" that He has placed in the church as it has pleased Him. Without the you joints, the vehicle can't move. If you were placed in the church, and you decide to leave, then the church cannot move forward as it is supposed to. We need each and every person that is supposed to be at Word of Life now. We need you, even if you feel as if you don't play a valuable role. What I found out about the "U Joint" in cars is that they are not the most expensive parts, but they are absolutely invaluable in making the car go.

Just like the "U" joint isn't the most expensive part on a car, and you may feel that you aren't the most valuable part of the church, but regardless of what you think or feel, God sees you as a very important part of His church, because it pleased Him to place you there. I for one, will begin to see people at my church in a different light now. We are all "You Joints" at Word of Life, and each one of us is needed. Don't let the enemy lie to you now and say that you are not an important part of the mission at Word of Life. We need you now more than ever!