The devotional Christy Doucet shared with us surprised me and then impacted me! 

                Using an example her husband Phil had given her, she first told us to pretend we were a group of firefighters.  Then she pointed to several ladies and said, “You drive the truck, you point the hose, you carry the ladder.  Remember this.”

                Asking us to listen carefully, she read the great commission from Matthew 28:18-20 and then about unity from Ephesians 4:1-16.  Thinking I knew where she was going with this, I remembered that the last words of Jesus to the church was a directive for us to teach everyone by sharing the Good News of Jesus.  We are to make them disciples of Jesus (no one else), mark them with baptism to show whose they are, and then mature them by teaching them to obey God by loving Him and loving others.

                I also recalled that the apostle Paul was urging the believers in Ephesus to walk worthy and in unity, by faith through grace in Christ.  I had underlined and memorized those verses long ago.

                Verses 12 and 13 of Ephesians 4 read “to prepare God’s people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity… and become mature….”  This, then, is the purpose of the church!

                Verse 15 says we will “grow up,” and then verse 16 says “the whole body . . . grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”

                “Well, Christy,”  I thought to myself, “that’s true.  We’re all for unity.  I’ve heard it often.  Jesus even prayed in John 17 for unity.  We’re still working on it!”

                But Christy was not finished.  I corralled my wandering thoughts and listened to her again, and that is when she got me!

                In summing up her presentation, she reminded us that in our congregation, we are all part of the body of Christ, and we have a job to do!  Then she looked at each lady whom she had previously pointed to and asked, “What is your job?”

                Each one, as I would have, replied with “Drive the truck,” “Point the hose,” and “Carry the ladder.”

                Christy’s explosive “NO!” startled us all into full attention!  She repeated, “No!  Your job is to put out the fire!”

                Point taken!  Together, let us make, mark, and mature disciples for Jesus, and not divide over work titles, traditions, or opinions!  Lord, help us take our job seriously!

         Joyce Broyles resides in Jennings, LA and is a Retired High School Librarian.