Bella Vista Church of Christ
LIFELINES
January 24, 2001 Hershel Dyer
Somebody Ought To Do It
There is the legend of an ancient king who became weary of the complaints of his subjects. As always, there were many things to be done but each one seemed to feel that someone else should do them. Then as now, they were always ready to say, “Let George do it!”
To cure his people of this bad tendency, the king had a huge stone placed in the midst of a main thoroughfare leading into the city. All of the travelers passed by it, grumbling and complaining that someone should move the stone. After a time, the king called his subjects together and showed them a bag of gold which had been placed under the stone for anyone who was willing to move it.
In the perpetuation of a church or congregation in any place there are many things to be done. We can nearly always see some things which are needful but are being neglected. It is easy to complain about these and continue to say, “Somebody ought to do it!”
The building in which we meet must be opened and later closed by someone. There are floors to be mopped and carpets to be vacuumed. There are chairs to be set up in the classrooms, the baptistry to be filled and kept ready for use. There are classes to be taught, songs to be led, communion trays to be prepared, etc., etc. There are also the sick and shut-ins that need our loving ministries, the visitors to our services to be called upon, funerals that require singers and grieving families who need our sympathetic attention, etc, etc.
The foregoing along with other numerous good works are among the kindly services which require dedicated volunteers. There are generally too few for the many tasks. We can often see and even admit that “someone ought to do it.”
When the Lord said to Isaiah: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Isaiah immediately responded, “Here am I! Send me.” The church can use a lot more “Isaiahs”!
HERSHEL DYER
Tulsa, Okla.
