Bring God Glory
We have different gifts, according to
the grace given to each of us.
– Romans 12:6a
Each of you should use whatever gift
you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its
various forms. – 1 Peter 4:10
She wanted to know exactly what we would be doing at
the craft event. One craft had already been announced but she wanted to know
what the other one was. I didn’t know. She was surprised by that.
I directed her to the sweet woman who heads up this
event for the Women’s Ministry Team. I may lead the team but I don’t micromanage
or try to control what other team members are doing. I trust them. I know their
talents and abilities. And they know if there is anything I can do to help,
promote or support their efforts, I will gladly do it.
I realize that’s a different approach for some people.
They want to be involved and consulted at every stage of an event. They want to
be in control even if they aren’t in charge. I’m not one of them.
Maybe it’s because I spent years supervising more than
100 employees located in different geographical areas. I depended on managers
and their assistants to do their jobs. If they didn’t, I found someone who
would. At a certain point you have to realize and accept that you can’t do it
all yourself.
Or maybe it’s because in my season of caregiving I
learned how little control I have over anything. My plans could, and often
were, disrupted on a daily basis by the needs of parents, livestock or other
things. I learned a great deal about trusting God in the midst of continuing
storms. I learned a great deal about the ugliness that happens when others want
to control without actually showing up to help.
So, I don’t need to control everyone or everything
around me. It’s a lesson God taught me. It’s a lesson I hope never to have to
relearn.
We are all gifted in different ways, with different
talents and abilities. The sweet woman who heads up the craft events is gifted
at finding wonderful crafts that are easy to make and that everyone will enjoy.
Another sweet woman is gifted in producing snacks that everyone loves and raves
about. I am merely the worker who helps where I can, whether it’s plugging in
glue guns or arranging snacks.
I have my own gifts, my own abilities. We all do. God
meant for us to work together, each gift and skill complimenting those of
others, to produce good works for His people. God surely wanted us to get
along, to trust each other, and to let others use their talents.
I’m not really sure why some people need to control
everything and everyone. I don’t know why they’re never satisfied with their
own gifts and talents. I don’t understand why they need to do their part and
direct the parts of everyone else. That’s not how God organized us all.
We can do so much good by simply getting out of each other’s
way and letting others shine with their gifts. We can work together as a team
and produce great things for God’s glory. Every one of us is gifted in some
way. Use your gifts to let God’s light shine brightly.
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