Helps Ministry Part 3

Lesson 4

Stay In Your Lane

The New Testament uses several different allegories to describe the Church. While these allegories are different, they simultaneously share a common thread, that is, they are each a single entity comprised of multiple parts under a single leader. These allegories are:

• A Body—A single body comprised of multiple body parts under a head

• A Building—A single building built of multiple parts under a builder

• An Army—A single entity comprised of multiple soldiers under a captain

• A Family—A single unit comprised of multiple members under a father

• A Household—A single unit comprised of multiple servants under a master

• A Vineyard—A single field comprised of multiple vines under a husbandman

• A Flock—A single group comprised of multiple sheep under a shepherd

A local church requires the contribution of each and every member doing their part and manifesting their own grace. Each of these allegories demonstrates either a hierarchy of authority (i.e., army, family, and household) or a critical order of created organization (i.e., body and building). Of the previous seven allegories, only the last two (vineyards and flocks) are exempt from these patterns. However, unique to the final two are their innate abilities to grow and produce useful products (viz., wool and grapes).

SUCCESS IS THE SUM OF THE PARTS

The success of the first five allegories is dependent upon the integrity and fidelity of the individual components:

• A body needs each part performing its specific function. For example, the hand makes for a bad foot; a lung is a horrible heart; an eye can’t hear very much, etc. Each part has their own lane.

• A building needs the right part in the right place to fulfill the blueprint. For example, a foundation stone is a dangerous shingle; a beam is a bad window; a door is a futile fireplace, etc. A misused part can cause damage or ruin. Each part has their own lane.

• An army needs every member performing their assigned task. Some soldiers must drive supply trucks; other soldiers must run communications networks; while other soldiers must shoot guns, etc. A soldier derelict in their duties can be court-martialed. Each soldier has their own lane.

• A father delegates his family’s responsibilities and roles as he sees fit. The father does not take the role of the mother, nor vice-versa; the children are not permitted to run the home; and each member has a responsibility given for the day-to-day maintenance of the home. A neglected duty disrupts the family. Each member has their own lane.

• A household’s master assigns roles to servants. Some servants work in the fields, while others serve in the home. Some handle business transactions, while some manage the finances. A neglected duty disrupts the household and can hurt everyone. Each servant has their own lane.

In all five scenarios, each individual part­ —whether it be a body part, a building material, a solider, a child, or a slave—must do that which they have been assigned if their respective allegory is to succeed and thrive. If every member runs their race to their fullest and in their assigned lane, everyone wins, the Church is strengthened, and God is glorified!

However, if a member should become overzealous and overstep their assignment, intruding into someone else’s lane, the result can be very devastating.

• An eye should not intrude into the lung’s domain.

• A beam should not intrude into a stone’s domain.

• A scout should not intrude into an artilleryman’s domain.

• A father should not intrude into the mother’s domain.

• A slave should not intrude into the master’s domain.

Though perhaps well-meaning, such behavior is problematic, especially if the proper entity or person is already performing their role. It is problematic for several reasons:

1. It is intrusive.

2. It can be disruptive.

3. It can be irritating.

4. It can be frustrating.

5. God likes everything done decently and in order.

SCRIPTURES TO HELP

There are several Bible verses that can help us stay in our lane as we run our race for God.

• If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people’s affairs.  – 1 Peter 4:15 NLT

“Prying into other people’s affairs” is one big Greek word, allotriepískopos, meaning one who takes the supervision of affairs pertaining to others and in no wise to himself; a meddler. It literally means someone else’s (allótrios) + oversight (epískopos). It means one is a busybody and a meddler. The Bible does not present this as a praiseworthy trait. It is a behavior that Peter clearly condemns and acknowledges that people can suffer for when they commit it. We are commanded to leave other peoples’ affairs alone. This applies to the ministry of helps, too.

• Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before.  – 1 Thessalonians 4:11 NLT

Paul associates minding one’s business with a peace-filled life. This gives us a key to why some people can’t mind their own business: It may be that their souls lack peace somewhere, and they seek to find it by hijacking or meddling in another person’s responsibility. This is also called a busy-body.

• Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people’s business.  – 2 Thessalonians 3:11 NLT

In Paul’s second epistle to the Thessalonians, the apostle adds another possible source of busybody behavior: idleness. Some busybodies are meddlers because they are bored and need something to do. The solution here is to master your lane first.

• And if they are on the list, they will learn to be lazy and will spend their time gossiping from house to house, meddling in other people’s business and talking about things they shouldn’t.  – 1 Timothy 5:13 NLT

Paul’s instruction for widows grants us further insight: meddling can be a learned behavior. If a young widow can learn to be meddling, then this behavior can be unlearned as well.

EXAMPLES OF LANE SWERVING

As should be expected, the Bible offers several examples of people who failed to stay in their assigned lanes.

• And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.  – 1 Chronicles 28:9

• The Sons of Zeruiah (2 Samuel 3:39; 16:9-10; 19:22)—These three men (Joab, Abishai, and Asahel) were David’s nephews. Zeruiah was David’s sister. Though these men did much to help their king, they were also a frequent headache for David because they often took it upon themselves to do things they were not assigned to do, usually murder. Joab and Abishai killed Abner without permission. Joab also killed Amasa (his cousin) out of job jealousy. Abishai requested permission to murder Shimei for insulting David. To which request David famously responded, “What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah?” They struggled to stay in their lane because of jealousy.

• King Uzziah (2 Chronicles 26:16-21)—King Uzziah decided to play priest and burn incense on the altar of incense. This was not his place, his duty, or his lane. Azariah the High Priest confronted him and said, “It is not for you, Uzziah (note: he was not addressed by his office of king, because he had left it), to burn incense to the LORD. That is the work of the priests alone . . . Get out of the sanctuary, for you have sinned. The LORD God will not honor you for this!” Uzziah didn’t stay in his lane because of pride.

• Onesimus (Philemon)—Onesimus was a Roman-era slave that had fled his master, Philemon, who was a Christian convert and co-laborer of Paul. As God’s sovereignty had arranged it, Onesimus met the Apostle Paul, got saved under his ministry, and began serving him. Paul eventually discovered their connection and sent Onesimus back to serve Philemon, even though the runaway slave had been very helpful to Paul while the apostle was in prison. Onesimus had to be sent back to his lane.

• Paul (Acts 9:15; 17:2)—Paul had three divine lanes, assigned in order by Jesus Christ. He was to bear the name of Christ to: #1—first to the Gentiles, #2­ —then to kings, and lastly #3—to the Jews. Paul regularly got his lanes out of order and usually put the Jews first, “As was Paul’s custom (not the Lord’s assignment), he went to the synagogue service, and for three Sabbaths in a row he used the Scriptures to reason with the people.” It was the Jews that always tried to murder him or run him out of town, not the Gentiles. Paul’s fruit was that while only “some” of the Jews believed, “a great multitude” of the Gentiles did. Paul needed to learn which of his lanes took priority.

May God help us find our lane and then stay in it as we run our race for Him! Amen!