My wife loves to put together jigsaw puzzles. I’m not patient enough to always help, but I do try as much as I can stand it. A couple of Sundays we were on the back porch and I was watching Georgie put a puzzle together.
Here are three lessons the church can learn:
1. You have to look at the big picture first. She always starts with the box in front of her. When she can see the big picture, she can then start to put the pieces together. In the church world, always start with the big picture. The Great Commission and the vision God has given your church should be the backbone of everything.
2. All pieces belong somewhere. They don’t include extra pieces in the box. God doesn’t include “spares” in the kingdom. Everyone has a part to play. No matter how gifted or ungifted someone may appear, they have a part they can play in the body. Don’t give up on the wounded or those that look different from your typical church person.
3. Sometimes, a piece looks like it wouldn’t fit, but does. Occasionally, Georgie picks up a piece of the puzzle, starts to place it in its spot and I think, “there ain’t no way that goes there.” But it does. Don’t be surprised when God calls you to something that doesn’t seem to fit. Remember when God told Noah to build a big boat? That seemed crazy! But it fit.
What else can we learn from a jigsaw puzzle?
Artie Davis is the pastor at Cornerstone Community Church in Orangeburg, S.C. He heads the Comb Network and the Sticks Conference. He speaks and writes about leadership, ministry, church planting and cultural diversity in the church. You can find his blog at ArtieDavis.com or catch him on Twitter @artiedavis.
For the original article, visit artiedavis.com.
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