Church is Not A Spectator Sport

Last season, I was blessed with tickets to the Dallas Mavericks game. Before the game started, I went close to the floor with my two sons and father-in-law to watch the players warm up. As a passionate basketball family, we wanted to see their pre-game routine up close. 

Klay Thompson warmed up just feet away, rhythmically shooting as soon as the rebounder passed him the ball. While he shot a respectable 38% from 3 in 2026, I would imagine in warm ups he shoots more like 75%. It was incredible, and it was beautiful to watch. 

For some reason, the rebounder didn’t pass me the ball the whole time. No one even looked my way. It was all about the guys on the floor. The lights were on them, the cameras were on them, the trainers and coaches focused on them, the fans all watched them. 

Some of us think church is like this. We watch spiritually gifted people do impressive things, and we marvel. A band plays a beautiful song we can only sing along to. A pastor preaches a powerful sermon we could never preach. And then we go home, inspired. 

God’s plan for the church is counterintuitive. While we are accustomed to centralized power and fame, the Bride of Christ is a different ecosystem. The power, the giftings, are distributed throughout. Each and every person is gifted and brings gifts. The gifts can be musical, practical, or theological — but everyone is on the floor at the same time. And yes, we are fans — but not of the gifted among us. We are fans of Jesus together. Our gaze is on Him. And we are the lights shining upon Him. 

Stop being impressed or intimidated by people with different gifts than you. They are not more valuable than you, and trust me, God is not more impressed with them than He is you. You have important — even vital — gifts to deploy in the church. You may use them less publicly than some, but the Lord’s eyes don’t miss a thing. 

So get in the game. If you don’t know where to start, begin by asking this question: how can I help? Then die to your ego and comfort, and serve Christ by serving Christ’s church. Your God-given gifts will emerge over time, but faithfulness in the present moment is the first step.