After years of observing Christians we have come to the conclusion that most of the Lord's flock do not realize that each believer has a specific task to perform in the Kingdom of God. There may be a vague idea that somehow, somewhere, sometime, God has something for each of us to do. This may be as far as our understanding goes.

Why is it that the members of Christ's Body do not know what their specific commissions are? It may be that we are not presenting our body as a living sacrifice so God's will can be proved in our daily life. We may not possess enough zeal for the things of God.

Until we become willing to present our body a living sacrifice in total consecration to God we cannot know the will of God for our life on earth. Our heart is divided. Our mind is divided. Two competing interests and motives are abiding in us. Our own hopes, goals, and pleasures are competing with God's hopes, goals and pleasures.

There may be a dim awareness in the back of our mind that Christ is expecting something of us.

A believer who never has received Christ as absolute Lord of his or her life is not actually a "Christian" in the New Testament sense of the term. It is the disciples who were termed "Christians" (Acts 11:26). A disciple is one who has abandoned his own life so he or she may give attention to the hopes, goals, and pleasures of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Because the multitude of professing Christians are not all disciples, the doctrine of each believer having a specific task to fulfill in the Kingdom of God is not an idea that is set forth in every assembling of church members. In many instances the people are taught how to use the Scriptures in order to more successfully carry out their own plans and goals, not how to know the will of Christ in order to carry out His plans and goals.

Every member of the Body of Christ without exception has been assigned a part to play in the building of the Body, a talent to spend in the market place (Romans 12:6; I Corinthians 12:11). If we will seek the Lord in sincerity, committing our way to Him, acknowledging Him in all we do, He will lead us into the Divine plan for our life (Proverbs 3:5,6).

Then our daily food will be to do Christ's will and to finish His work.

Christ died that we may live. Now we are to die so He may live in and through us, so His Divine Life may touch the people with whom we come in contact.

If we decide to save our life, we will lose it. If we are willing to lose our life for Christ's sake and the Gospel's, we will save it. Our life then will multiply because Christ will bless the offering of our life and feed the multitudes of the earth with the pieces of it.

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. (Mark 8:35)

We are speaking of losing our life in the sense of giving up our own ambitions and joys and turning our attention to serving the Lord.

To be continued.