Hitchhiker Christians
Gary Culbreath
As you know, I travel a lot and I see a number of people hitchhiking. In this day and time, it’s not a good idea to pick up hitchhiker for safety reasons. The other day while traveling to Virginia, I passed a hitchhiker and as I looked back in my mirror, he was really letting me have it because I didn’t stop and pick him up. I got to thinking, he wants me to buy the car, pay for all the maintenance, work on the car, buy the fuel, keep it clean and pay for the insurance so he can ride free of charge. And if I were to have an accident, he would probably sue me and win if he got a scratch on him.
But you know what? We have some so-called Christians in the church today that could be call “Hitchhiker Christians”. They want the faithful members to give a lot of money, pay all the bills, teach all the classes, lead all the singing, keep up the maintenance, preach all the sermons, keep the church clean, knock on doors and invite their neighbors to church and work hard to put out a nice bulletin each week. They would also like the building kept at a comfortable temperature so they can sleep through the sermon if they stayed up too late Saturday night. But if they don’t like some-thing that we’re doing at church, they are the first one to let everyone know what they think. In other words, some want to be members of the church, but do not want to come too often or do any-thing while there.
It takes a lot of hard work from all the faithful members to build and grow the Lord’s church. And I think that’s what God’s word is saying in Romans 12:4-8 4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
Next time you see someone on the side of the road hitchhiking, ask yourself this question, “Am I a hitchhiker Christian?”