This week Pastor Aaron talked about God’s math (scary!). He shared how the God, who created the universe and everything in it, multiplies our efforts for His purposes. I’m always startled when I see something I’ve touched, even in a small way, bear fruit. I shouldn’t be surprised when I follow God’s lead, and get involved in what He is doing, that good things happen. However, I’m often guilty of thinking that I have nothing He needs, so I give exactly that – NOTHING. I let opportunities pass me by because I’ve let the lie that I have nothing to give.
Do you think that? Do you think that you have nothing to offer the God of the universe and His creation? I fight that battle all the time. I think Satan likes digging in to our insecurities and telling us that we have nothing of value. Of course, like everything Satan says, it’s a lie. Even if it’s a lie we heard from someone influential in our lives, like a parent, spouse, boss, sibling, or teacher, it’s still a lie. God’s word tells us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). Satan HAS to tell us we’re not, because if we believed and understood how powerfully gifted we actually are, we would be an unstoppable force for Jesus and I think that just might scare Satan.
The Bible tells us that we each have a part to play. Some people’s gifts jump out at you instantly. They are typically the first people you notice when you come into a church, the greeter, the music team, and pastors. After you see those folks, you may hear about a mission trip, or a serving opportunity that seems like its way over your head. But God promises each of us a gift we can use to further His work on earth. It is also clear that no gift is more important than another.
And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body," it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. (1 Corinthians 12:16-18)It’s evident that when the Holy Spirit gives a gift, he also gives us passions in our lives that when combined with our gifts, bear fruit. Serving out of gifts and passions often feels like a privilege rather than service, or work. I keep going back to Matthew 11:29-30 “ 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
God has not called us to go and do things that make us miserable. According to Ecclesiastes 4:18 “ …. that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor….” Did you hear that? He wants us to find SATISFACTION in our labor – I love that! There is freedom in that! WE have so many choices given to us. If you have a gift of teaching, and a heart for children, then you would be most effective serving in KidsQuest, while someone with a gift for prayer would be better suited to a quiet room praying for the needs of others. Similarly a person with a gift of mercy would be more drawn to serving those with health issues, while a person with a gift craftsmanship is better suited to our Tool Box experience.
All of that is not to say that we don’t serve in ways that aren’t totally connected to our area of giftedness. I remember a time when I served in the nursery. That may not shock some of you, but many of my closest friends will tell that I’m “just not good with other people’s kids”. I love kids in general, and I enjoy them one on one, but you get me in a group of them and start to come unglued! When you put me in a room with more than 4 children, words like overwhelmed, frazzled, anxious, barely scratch the surface of the state of my mental health. But there was a need, so I jumped on board, asked God for some supernatural inner peace and love, and I proceeded to chased toddlers once a month for a year or so. Looking back, it was a great experience and has made me appreciate the folks who ARE gifted in that way, even more.
If you aren’t sure what your gifts are, please call the church office. There are dozens of resources for discovering, refining, and using the gifts of the Holy Spirit. What can you give to God to multiply? Even the smallest act can be multiplied for incredible impact.
