“Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body It would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say ‘Because I am not any eye, I do not belong to the body.” It would not for that reason cease to be part of the body …But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as He wanted them to be.” 1 Corinthians 12: 14-18
Probably all of us have wished at one time another that we had a talent that we don’t have. Maybe we have wished that we could play the piano like Tom or sing like Harry or talk to anyone comfortably like Sandy Harmon or read scripture like Scott Suran or lead a meeting like Keith Evans or perform in a drama like Dave Harmon, but God doesn’t want us to be cookie-cutter Christians. He has something special for each of us.
The truth is that God made us all different. Our task is to discover what our gifts are and use them to His glory. Some of our talents are not showy, but rather quietly done in the background such as cleaning the grounds, proofreading the video slides, setting up the sound system for Sunday morning services, making meals for the sick or tidying up after the worship service. We each have something to contribute to the church body.
As I look at the Deacon Board for example, I see deacons who have organizational skills, financial ability, gifts of comfort, a listening ear, or culinary skills which they readily share. Let’s notice when people encourage us in various activities and realize that they may be giving us hints as to what our God-given talents are. And again, the most important trait is a willingness to serve. Lincoln and the community have many needs and we are all able to contribute in some way, not as
spectators only, but as loving participants.