“As each has received a gift, employ it for one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace” – 1 Peter 4:10
Each of us is called to share God‘s love and bring hope to the world. God has given each of us gifts for this heavenly task. We have unique gifts because God created each of us with purpose. When we are willing to share God’s love though our gifts, God as proclaimed to our neighbors, to our community, and to the world.
We often struggle with the notion that God has given each of us gifts to share. I have had many conversations with people who feel like they do not have gifts to share. This could not be further from the truth. The scriptures are clear, “each has received a gift.”
I was recently thinking about my mother and how she used her gifts in service to God. My mother was not a musician, preacher, Bible study teacher, or many of the other things we think of when we hear about the gifts God has given. However, I can tell you that many of my mission trip experiences were made special because of the work my mother did for our mission in advance.
One of her real gifts was cooking. My mother would often help run the kitchen for church events and our youth mission. My favorite thing she would do is bake cookies. My mother would make cookies for our mission experiences, and it did not matter the size of the mission team. If we were taking twenty students to Mexico, she would make cookies. If we were hosting Youth Force with 200 students, she would make cookies. I cherish the memories of these cookies at the end of a long day of work. They were a gift of homemade joy as we worked to bring joy to others’ homes.
My mother never put a roof on a house, and she never built a wheelchair ramp, but she helped each team accomplish their goals though her gift of cooking. I am not sure she saw her culinary skills as a gift from God, but she did not hesitate to use her gifts to bless others.
Each of us has been given gifts that help to share God’s love and bring hope to the world. Let us share our gifts with others (especially those with chocolate chips). When we use our skills for others, we can offer far more blessing than we think we are capable of sharing.
– Rev. Keith King, Pastor of Worship
