Day 52 - Jerseys on the Flight Deck
The flight deck of an aircraft carrier is one of the most dangerous places in the entire world. So many life-threatening things are happening simultaneously! There’s a lot of stuff that can go terribly wrong.
How does the U.S. Navy cope with such a high degree of danger and difficulty? It’s simple–every sailor on the flight deck wears a different color jersey. Purple jerseys fuel the aircraft, Green jerseys work the catapults that launch the planes, Blue jerseys run the elevators and drive the tow tractors, Red jerseys deal with the bombs and bullets, and the White jerseys are the safety guys. You get the picture. Everyone has a job. Everyone plays an important role in keeping everyone safe and getting the job done.
God’s family should function in much the same way. “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord.†(I Corinthians 12:4, 5) As followers of Christ, the spiritual gifts that God has given to each of us are vital for the proper functioning of the entire body of Christ.
On the flight deck, every sailor believes that his job is the most important. He knows that if he doesn’t do his job, it won’t get done. He’s absolutely right.
He also knows that if he doesn’t do his job with a spirit of excellence, someone is going to die.
The same holds true for us. If we don’t use our spiritual gifts for the advancement of God’s Kingdom, someone is going to die—not just physically, but spiritually.
Today’s Scripture Promise: “For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” (Romans 12:4, 5)