The following may be a familiar scenario. You are out with family or friends and you realize you don’t have your glasses. Most likely someone in the group will generously offer their glasses as a temporary substitute so you can read a menu or get a clearer picture of something. Would it not be unusual and even weird if – after realizing the glasses are no help to you at all - you become hesitant or even start to get offended if they try to get their glasses back? It would also seem strange if they if they start to insist that you keep them; exclaiming that because the glasses worked so well for them, they were sure the glasses would be beneficial for you too. Unfortunately, this scenario is playing out all too often in the church when it comes to receiving and maturing in the gifts and talents that God places in our lives.
These individual gifts and talents that God gives us must to be discovered, developed, and matured in order to benefit the body of Christ.
I believe that God calls every believer to general and specific tasks in His Body (I Cor.12:4-7). Just as we were drawn to Him by His grace, we are equipped by His grace to do the things He has put in our regenerated spirits. There are, of course the non-negotiable things He desires every believer to do. We are all called to bear fruit by loving one another (John 15:1-17) and to proclaim the message of gospel (Matt.28:18-20). We are also required to mature in the knowledge of Christ by His grace (1 Pet.3:18). But what I am referring to is the particular talents and gifts that He has individually placed in us to develop in order to edify the local church and beyond. These individual gifts and talents that God gives us must to be discovered, developed, and matured in order to benefit the body of Christ. These would be the God designed prescription glasses made for each of us.
At the beginning we usually need help to discover and develop these gifts. God will always bring people in our lives to help us discover the things He has placed in us. This is why it is so important to be willing to do the things our pastor and leaders ask (I Pet.5:1-5).By God’s grace, they are learning about us; finding those bents in our behavior, demeanor, likes, and dislikes. As we are being trained in the works of ministry, very often we wear someone else's glasses - we assist a mentor or elder of the church. This helps us to recognize and develop our talents and gifts. This gets us ready to receive and use our God designed glasses.
This in effect, is what happened to me. Not long ago, my pastor asked me to receive the tithes and offerings at one of our upcoming Sunday services. This entails a short exhortation on giving and praying over the offering. After that service he asked me to write a more formalized version and send it to him via e-mail. He liked it, published it on our church’s web site and encouraged me to write other blog posts. I would have never imagined that writing was a talent God put in me, but my pastor recognized it and helped draw it out. I was extremely intimidated at first; but I grew to realize that God put this ability in me and He desires for me to develop this talent for His glory. I never thought I would enjoy or be any good at writing. This is why I say it is so important to be willing to do the things our leaders may ask us to do. They may be seeing things in us we have never seen before!
In my next post, I would like to share some potential issues that could arise when we get focused on ourselves and the gifts of others instead of keeping our eyes on God.
God bless and remember to keep your glasses clean and your focus on the Lord.
John Clark
John Clark is a husband to Julie, a father of one son living in Valrico, Florida. He has an Associate Degree of Theology from Life Christian University, and serves at Life Center of Brandon where he is a teacher and writer.
At the beginning we usually need help to discover and develop these gifts. God will always bring people in our lives to help us discover the things He has placed in us. This is why it is so important to be willing to do the things our pastor and leaders ask (I Pet.5:1-5).By God’s grace, they are learning about us; finding those bents in our behavior, demeanor, likes, and dislikes. As we are being trained in the works of ministry, very often we wear someone else's glasses - we assist a mentor or elder of the church. This helps us to recognize and develop our talents and gifts. This gets us ready to receive and use our God designed glasses.
This in effect, is what happened to me. Not long ago, my pastor asked me to receive the tithes and offerings at one of our upcoming Sunday services. This entails a short exhortation on giving and praying over the offering. After that service he asked me to write a more formalized version and send it to him via e-mail. He liked it, published it on our church’s web site and encouraged me to write other blog posts. I would have never imagined that writing was a talent God put in me, but my pastor recognized it and helped draw it out. I was extremely intimidated at first; but I grew to realize that God put this ability in me and He desires for me to develop this talent for His glory. I never thought I would enjoy or be any good at writing. This is why I say it is so important to be willing to do the things our leaders may ask us to do. They may be seeing things in us we have never seen before!
In my next post, I would like to share some potential issues that could arise when we get focused on ourselves and the gifts of others instead of keeping our eyes on God.
God bless and remember to keep your glasses clean and your focus on the Lord.
John Clark
John Clark is a husband to Julie, a father of one son living in Valrico, Florida. He has an Associate Degree of Theology from Life Christian University, and serves at Life Center of Brandon where he is a teacher and writer.