Your Place on the Team

“There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.” 1 Corinthians 12:5 (NIV) Teamwork is something that I have come to appreciate. It speaks to the functions and roles that each of us as believers have been assigned to. We all have different skill sets, different strength areas, and different ways of looking at life. We all have our place in God’s Kingdom plan. It is important that we find that place of effectiveness. In my short and unremarkable hockey career, I knew that I was not a goal scorer, goalie, or play-maker, but I kind of liked the “goon” duties that fit my way of going at hockey! (Being a “goon” isn’t as barbaric as it sounds. “Goonism” is more of a deterrent function to address the problem of the other team roughing up your skilled and scoring guys. When that starts to happen, the coach says, “Sic-em,” and the goon does his stuff . . . Yup, we all have our areas of effectiveness!) There was a time in the early 90s when I went into training to be a bank manager. It sounded like a good idea at the time, and a pretty good pay cheque. But after seven months working there, I was miserable, my stress level was through the roof, the “suit and tie” thing was getting old real quick, and I just knew this was not my spot. So, I left it! Looking back, there’s a realization that I fi t a whole lot better in what I’m doing now than in the banking world . . . ministry administration and Gospel music. I just leave that banking to the ones God gifted for it. As we look to the future and consider our places in God’s program, we need it to be a team effort. Where do you fi t in that framework? — Kene Jackson   Council Fire is a collaboration with Intertribal Life Ministries and Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada. The Council Fire Daily Devotional Book Set is available on the Intertribal Life Ministries website. Learn more about Council Fire at councilfire365.org