"Know your role"
Next was Uzziel son of Harhaiah, a goldsmith by trade, who also worked on the wall. Beyond him was Hananiah, a manufacturer of perfumes. They left out a section of Jerusalem as they built the Broad Wall. (Nehemiah 3:8 NLT)
We all have things we are passionate about. We all have things that we are gifted in. We all have things we prefer to do when it comes to service. But sometimes preferences have to be sacrificed on the alter of priority.
If my house was burning down, I don't need a neighbor to walk over & tell me he knows a guy who can help with fire prevention & insurance. I need him to help put out the fire!
The same is applicable with the body of Christ. Here in Nehemiah we see a blacksmith & a perfumer working on the wall. Both are not particularly skilled with masonry but have expertise in other areas. But they realize that without a wall in Jerusalem, there will not be a need for blacksmiths or perfumers. This is a case of priority trumping preferences.
When it comes to the kingdom of God & serving the bride of Christ, we often have to lay down our preferences at times & give our efforts & attention to what's most important. We may not love serving in the kids area, but that is the need so we do. We may not want to do the hard work of sharing Jesus with people around us, but that is what they most need. We may not want to give our free time for engaging the messy people in our city. But this is where the needs most are. And unless we build where there is need, there may not be a church left for our passions.
Where is the greatest need in your faith family? Where can you meet a need no matter your passion level for it?
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