An Incomplete Puzzle

If you enjoy putting puzzles together, nothing is more frustrating than getting almost done with a one only to find a piece missing. What a letdown! No matter what, that puzzle will always be incomplete. There is no substitute for the missing piece. Even if you were to go and buy the exact same puzzle and get the piece you were missing out for the puzzle you put together, the puzzle you took it from would be incomplete. One piece is indispensable for the complete picture.

Likewise, you have something I need. Without you, my picture is incomplete. Without you, there is a piece missing. If you are reading this, you are a piece of the puzzle that is my life and I yours. With every interaction we have in life, we become a piece of another person’s puzzle. Those pictures combine to create an even bigger picture.

We each have our own puzzles that is our life. Each of our lives also combines with others’ lives to create a larger picture. For the Christian, that is the body of Christ. The absence of any one piece, and the picture is incomplete. The absence of any person, and the whole picture is marred by a gaping hole much like a missing piece stands out in an otherwise completed puzzle.

Assembling the Pieces

A body of believers works the same way as a puzzle. Every individual in the body is a crucial piece of the complete picture. In other words, we’re all integral parts of the body of Christ.

“For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.” (2 Corinthians 12:12)

Each part has a specific function. We must avoid thinking we are the most important part, but we also must not think we are unimportant either. Instead of comparing one part to another, each part must fulfill its own purpose and also work together to create a cohesive unit that glorifies Christ.

When a piece of the puzzle is missing in the body of Christ, there is a void that cannot be filled. While that does not mean that the work of Christ won’t ultimately be accomplished, it does mean that it will go forth differently than if that void was filled by the piece created to go in that space.

God created each person to play a role in his will with each role being unique and able to be filled by only one person. If you don’t place yourself into the pile of pieces, you can’t become a part of the puzzle, and the puzzle essentially can never be completed.

Completing the Puzzle

How does this transfer into specific activity? There are three basic steps for helping to complete the puzzle.

  1. Make sure the edge is complete. This means attending a full-gospel, Bible believing church.
  2. Organize the middle pieces. Submit to the structure of leadership.
  3. Work diligently. Get in and row the boat. Commit to being a part of the larger picture.

Life is so much bigger than any one person, but each person plays a part in making life complete. No one has all the pieces alone; we all need each other to complete the puzzle.

Church is a commitment by each of the individual pieces. God will make room for your gifts and talents in the church, but you must make sure you are a willing piece of the puzzle.