In many villages in India, there are large community water tanks that supply water to the residents. These tanks receive water from an outside source, store it, and distribute it to homes through pipes. Even if a tank is full of water, it cannot fulfill its purpose unless that water reaches the people who need it.
Our Christian life is much the same. We receive God’s Word, grace, love, and blessings. However, God has not given these things to us only for our own benefit. He has also entrusted them to us so that we may share them with others. In this sense, the church can be compared to a community water tank, while small group leaders are like pipes that carry God’s blessings to individual members and families.
Different people have different needs. Some need God’s Word and prayer, while others need comfort and love. Still others may need practical help, such as food or medical expenses. Therefore, a small group leader should not simply announce worship times and check attendance. A leader should care about the circumstances of the members, understand their needs, and put God’s love into action.
Recently, I heard about a church member who suffered a serious leg injury and was unable to work. Because he was the sole breadwinner of his family, he was also facing great financial hardship. Of course, we should pray for him. But we should also consider how we can help him get medical treatment and meet his family’s needs.
In 1 Kings 17, God provided bread and meat to Elijah through ravens. The ravens did not produce the food themselves. They delivered it according to God’s command. Likewise, a water tank does not produce water, and pipes do not create it. They simply carry what has been supplied to those who need it. We may not have everything, but God can use us to deliver His love and blessings to others.
1 Peter 4:10 says, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (NIV). God has given each of us different gifts and abilities. Some can teach God’s Word, some can lead praise or serve as interpreters, and others can comfort people or support them financially. What matters is using what God has given us according to His will.
In Acts 20:35, Paul spoke about how he had worked hard to help the weak and reminded believers of the words spoken by the Lord Jesus Himself: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Love that pleases God should not remain only in our hearts or words. It should be expressed through practical actions.
The believers in the early church practiced this kind of love together. Acts 4:34–35 tells us that believers shared their possessions, and the apostles distributed what was given according to each person’s needs. Today, our offerings and donations for those in need can also support the church’s ministry and help people who are struggling. One person may not be able to meet every need, but when many believers give with love, their contributions can come together to provide meaningful help. Just as water gathered in a community tank is distributed to different homes, what we give to the church can be used to care for those in need.
This is where true blessing is found. We often pray and ask God to bless us, but we should also seek to become instruments through whom God can bless others. As we serve others, we experience God’s love more deeply and learn to depend on Him for the grace, wisdom, and strength needed to fulfill His work. Being used by God is itself a great blessing. Therefore, instead of only asking God to give us more, we should also pray to become people whom He is pleased to use.
However, if a water tank is not continually refilled, it will eventually become empty. In the same way, we must continually receive God’s grace through His Word and prayer. Just as the tank and pipes must be clean to supply clean water, our hearts must also be free from evil and filled with goodness. And just as a larger tank can hold more water, we should enlarge our hearts so that we can embrace and love more souls. The pipes must also remain open so that water can reach every home. Likewise, our hearts must remain open to the needs of others.
Today, look around your small group and the people around you. Is anyone lonely or sick? Is anyone weak in faith or struggling financially? Consider what they need and begin sharing what you have, even if it seems small. You can share God’s Word, offer comfort, use your gifts to serve others, or contribute your time and resources to the church’s ministry of helping those in need. Even a small offering given with love can become precious help to someone else.
God desires to share His love and grace with others through us today. The church should become a place where God’s blessings are received and shared, and every member should become a channel through which those blessings reach others. This is the blessed life of being used by God.
Today, instead of thinking only about what you want to receive from God, consider whom God wants to bless through you.
