For I say, through the grace that was given me, to every man who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think reasonably, as God has apportioned to each person a measure of faith.
For even as we have many members in one body, and all the members don’t have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
Having gifts differing according to the grace that was given to us, if prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of our faith; or service, let us give ourselves to service; or he who teaches, to his teaching; or he who exhorts, to his exhorting: he who gives, let him do it with liberality; he who rules, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. Romans 12:3-8 (WEB)
The passage in Romans that I ended with yesterday is just the beginning of what God has to say. He wants to teach me about being a servant. And that starts with humility.
The Cross and the empty grave are pictures that are in my heart that remind me of the indescribable gift of life with my Father that I have been given. Jesus with a towel around His waist washing feet is the picture that is in my heart to drive me through every day of my life. He who always was and always will be is the Servant. I am humbled. That is where Paul says that I should life my life.
Who gets the credit when a Christmas cantata is good? I was a choir director (for a very short time) and I was uncomfortable with applause. Believe me, if anything sounded good it was because of God. If you fellowship does an outreach event and you are the chairperson of the steering group, do you come to the first meeting with a full outline and then delegate out for others to make your plan come together; micromanaging each step to make sure they do it your way?
My husband and I own a publishing company. It is growing each week because we finally listened to God’s Spirit and are letting go of control. It is so exciting – and scary! – to see how God is bringing those whom He has chosen and gifted to do what He has planned. It’s like being on God’s payroll. He gets all the credit and He pays out all the blessings! I am so humbled yet again! I do not have all the gifts needed. Henry does not have all the gifts needed. God didn’t intend that we would! He wanted to bring more people, building flavors and layers of gifts that will make His company better and bigger that we could have imagined in His Kingdom! It’s about what happens in the Kingdom not how it looks to the world.
“And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.†John 14:13 (NIV)
Jesus will answer our prayer in what we do when it brings the Father all the praise. It’s not about my financial blessings or how well-known I become. It is how well-known God becomes!
