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In His Place
Numbers 2:17
"Then the tabernacle of the congregation shall set forward with the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camp: as they encamp, so shall they set forward, every man in his place by their standards."
When God organized the congregation of Israel, He commanded them to camp "every man in his place..." Every institution must be organized for it to succeed. An institution will only be as successful as the degree of its organization. God knew that the children of Israel would never make it through the wilderness without organization. You must understand that for forty years there were over two million people whom Moses led through the wilderness. There had to be organization for it to succeed.
However, it does not matter how organized an institution is if the people in that institution are not in their place of service. Leadership can have an organizational plan in place, but the people in the institution must be in their place of service for that plan to work. The verse above teaches us that people are important to the organizational structure. God told them that "every man" needed to be in their place when the camp went forward.
There are two institutions that God started: the home and the church. Both of these institutions will only be as successful as their organization. A home without organization is a home where there is strife and contention. A home without organization is a home that is dysfunctional. Likewise, a church without organization is a church that is missing its potential. The church must be organized if it is to reach the lost for Christ to the degree that God wants it to. However, in both of these institutions it is important that those inside of them are in their place and fulfill their obligations for them to reach the potential that God has for them.
In your home, are you fulfilling the roles of organization that God set up? If you are the man of the home, are you leading the home or is the home leading you? When men won't lead in the home, then they are hurting the organization of the home. If you are a lady, are you following your husband and leading the children? Ladies have a twofold role in the home. They must submit to their husband's leadership, but they must also be a leader to the children. You must be in your place if you want your home to run smoothly. Children need to be in their place of following their parents if they want a peaceful home. Children out of place will hurt the structure of the home.
Moreover, your church needs you to be in your place of ministry. When you are given a position in your church, your pastor needs you to fulfill that role without him having to constantly remind you. Be in your place on time. When I say on time, I am talking about being there before it's time to start. Be in your place of service all the time. Don't be one who constantly has excuses for not fulfilling your roles of ministry.
Christian, you are important to every institution in which you are involved. Be sure that you are in your place so that institution is can succeed. You cannot worry about whether others are in their place, but you can be sure to be in your place and do what you are supposed to do. You will hurt the organizational structure of any institution when you are out of place. Follow God's command to be in your place so you can be a part of helping God's institutions to go forward.