by: Amanda B. McKelroy | March 20, 2018
“A man’s gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.” ~Proverbs 18:16
I remember freshman year of college, the first day of Computer Applications class with Mrs. Rasmussen. She had us memorize Proverbs 18:16 and explained that the gift the verse talks about is referring to the things the man is capable of doing. The more he can do, the more opportunity there will be for that man to be used by his authorities.
It is hard for leadership to use someone with no gifts! Two lines of thinking with this: one is that parents are the main component in what gifts we have as adults. The other is that at some point as an adult, we must decide to better ourselves by being willing to step out of our comfort zone and learn new things.
“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” ~Thomas Edison
While it may be true that parents ought to teach their children useful talents that the children can then utilize as adults; once you’ve reached the point of adulthood and are evaluating your own usefulness, blame sharing doesn’t do any good. It is up to us as Christians to take whatever talents and abilities we have and to cultivate them, steward them, and use them for God. As dedicated Christians, if we lack talents and abilities that can be used in ministry, it is up to us to be willing to learn new ones instead of adopting a victim mentality that we just aren’t good enough. So perhaps at this moment you don’t have a particularly special ability that can be used in ministry; put your hand to the plow and learn one!
That day in class, something clicked in my head and heart. As a dumb freshman I did not fully grasp the implications of the verse, but I did understand that I ought to be the best I could be at everything I do. Every new thing God brings to my doorstep I should learn to do with excellence, even if it’s scrubbing toilets. Since that day, God has allowed me to add many “gifts” to my life, and not all glamorous ones – all to be used for His glory. Because of my willingness to learn new skills, no matter how they lacked glamour, has opened many wonderful doors of opportunity. I can serve my Lord more by cultivating the abilities I already have and by learning new ones whenever I’m able.
I meet many people who say they are a Christian and want to serve the Lord. They say they are serious about putting Christ first in their life, but they have limited ministry opportunities (if any) because they have no gifts making room for them. Their heart may be as sincere as the day is long about wanting to serve the Lord, but their lack of abilities limits their opportunities. Most often, they sit back and complain that there’s no place to serve and yak on about how they feel unwanted. May I propose that if they were willing to learn new abilities that ministry leaders could use, they would have a myriad of opportunities open up to them?
What abilities do you have? When was the last time you stepped out of your comfort zone and learned something new that could be used in ministry? The Lord uses all kinds of abilities; have you decided to cultivate any for His use? Or do you walk around like a lost child wondering why you can’t find a ministry to plug into? Why do others around you rise and get handed responsibility and not you? Examine your life; what abilities do you have that can be used for Christ?
Most people have abilities they wouldn’t initially consider using in ministry. They are not open to the idea of doing whatever needs to be done for the good of the ministries big picture. There are all kinds of abilities that can be used! Can you type, use a computer, cook, bake, learn quickly, sing, play an instrument, organize, decorate, clean? Most importantly, if the opportunity was in front of you: are you willing to learn a new ability?
The Bible tells us our gifts make room for us. Are we limiting ourselves by blaming our parents for not teaching us more or are we jumping through every door of opportunity that opens to learn new abilities so God can use us more?
