It is amazing how the scriptures can summarize our lives. I have written many times before that Ecclesiastes 3 describes 28 seasons of our lives. I do not recall my living out the season mentioned in verse 7 where it says there is a time:

Ecclesiastes 3:7 “A time to keep silence, And a time to speak”

I fell like Ezekiel that God spoke to:

Ezekiel 3:26 “I will make your tongue cling to the roof of your mouth, so that you shall be mute”
So I have asked the Lord what are you doing? And there has been no answer because it’s a time of silence.
One thing I have said is that I am pursuit of God only to be corrected when he “said, no Brian, I am pursuit of you,”

Take a moment and let Him catch you and ket os utter the words of Samuel:

Samuel 3:10 “Now the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”
And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant hears.”

Can I encourage you to read the 1st chapter of the book of Haggai. Haggai in talking to the children of Israel about building the House of God. He expresses the fact that it was time to again sacrifice and build the temple of the Lord.  He goes on to tell people that they are too preoccupied with their own homes and lives. Here is what he said:

• Haggai 1:8 “Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified,” says the Lord”

- Go up the mountain  - it takes effort to climb a mountain

• Bring wood - cutting down trees and then carrying the wood down takes commitment and work
• The result of cutting down trees and carrying them down the mountain is God gets glorified.

Well, that kind of scenario really doesn’t exist today so how can we apply the meaning of this and other verses? The major point is what can we do to help build the house of God so He can be glorified.

I am fully persuaded that every person in a local church has something to contribute.

Ephesians 4:16 “from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”

It clearly states that every person has a role/part to play in the building up the body known also as the church.

When I visit churches one of the places I go to get a sense of the church is the bathroom, The condition of the bathroom tells me a lot. Jesus came to serve.

• Matthew 20:28 “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Almost 52 years ago I started serving in the local church by cleaning toilets. In all of the churches I have planted I cleaned toilets and I am still cleaning toilets today. Once a servant always a servant. The goal is to see every believer contributing to the building up of the church so our God can be glorified.

I talk to pastors all the time and perhaps their greatest disappointments and frustrations is trying to get people to serve somewhere. Pastors today are often exhausted because they are wearing so many hats.

• Acts 6;1-2 “Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists,[ because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. 2 Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables.”

Yes, we can help build the House of God so He can be glorified. Can you be a part of a local community working together that GOD CAN BE GLORIFIED…

Kind of a PS read the first chapter of Haggai it perhaps will give you some answers.