Step into the Arena

As I travel around the world, I’m amazed at the special bond I find with other followers of Jesus Christ that transcends all others, even nationalities. We might see the world a little bit differently, and we might not agree on every fine political point, but we can agree on the fact that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world and that He has changed our lives. We are part of the body of Christ, the church.

The secret of the first-century church, the church that changed the world, the church that turned the world upside down, is the simple fact that every Christian believed they were called to do their part.

The Bible says that as believers, we are “living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple” (1 Peter 2:5). It is easy for us to stand on the sidelines and be critical of the church. It is easy for us to say they are not doing this right or that right. But it is another thing when we are in the arena fighting, when we realize that we’re part of the church.

President Theodore Roosevelt made this statement: “It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out where the strong stumbled or how the doer could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is in the arena, his face marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and falls short again and again: There is no effort without error.”

Yes, we have our shortcomings in the church, but we are in the arena attempting to do the work of God. And I encourage every Christian to enter the arena, be a part of the body of Christ, and do what they can do.