Tag: Gospel Advocate

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Using Your God-Given Talents…Part 3

As we conclude this three part series let’s discuss the use of our talents.  Being involved is more than just doing a little here or there.  It’s a life style of giving God my ALL.  Jesus gave His life for me, should I give Him anything less than my life?

Christ tells the parable of the three men who were each given talents “according to his ability.”  As we read Matthew 25 we see that two of the men labored in such a way as to double their talents, and in the end they were praised for their work.  This serves as a clear example of what we should be doing with what God has entrusted to us.  The third man, however, buried his head in the sand and did nothing with the talent his lord had given him.  Consider the consequences for this action: “You wicked, lazy slave…Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness…”  (Matthew 25:26, 30)  Folks, we all have talents!  God has blessed you with talents that He might not have blessed me with.  Perhaps I have talents that you don’t have…how will we use what God has given us?

Recently, one of our senior members here at Waterview encouraged some of her friends to come together each week and take a hot meal to one of our elderly shut-ins.  An elderly, aging senior is blessed by the compassion of her friends, and these friends in their golden years are still serving.  It would be easy to sit back and say, “Somebody should do that,” but these senior sisters are serving the Lord’s church!  Another member here serves the younger people with letters of encouragement, hugs of sincerity and has an attendance record that models faithfulness.  Others within our Prime Timer’s Ministry meet monthly to encourage each other and reach out to those in declining health.  Perhaps Mr. Spencer was right when he wrote, “There is much to do, there’s work on every hand.  Hark!  The cry for help comes ringing through the land; Jesus calls for reapers, I must active be.  What wilt Thou (what do you want me to do), O Master?  Here am I, send me.”

So what does your schedule look like today?  What will you be doing when it comes to the kingdom?  Christians young and old will be faced with new opportunities today.  We must ask ourselves if we are willing to work and labor for our Lord only while it’s convenient, or if we’ll work till Jesus comes.  Many of our older brothers and sisters are weary and have spent their lives working in the service of the King.  THANK YOU for your example, but let me encourage you to keep on serving and remember your goal.

“O land of rest, for thee I sigh!  When will the moment come, when I shall lay my armor by and dwell in peace at home?  We’ll work till Jesus comes…and we’ll be gathered home.”

My life is much more than just getting up and going to work.  The student studies hard to ‘make the grade’, but how much time do we give in preparing ourselves for the FINAL?  Sitting back and expecting others to do the work God calls us to do is a dangerous option at best.
Would that each of us use our God-Given Talents…

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Using Your God-Given Talents…Part 1

What does your schedule look like today?  Are you busy with your work or will you just be taking it easy?  Each day we have the responsibility and opportunity to face new challenges.  What work will you be doing?

In 1982 I worked in the local hardware store.  My tasks were pretty basic as they included restocking shelves, loading lumber for a ‘do it yourself’ customer, or ringing up the sale on 2 lbs of 16 penny nails.  Life was predictable in the hardware business, and this summer job was no exception.  One memory from this summer was when I was told my job for the day was to drive the old company truck to Amarillo to pick up a shipment for a costumer.  As a 17 year old driving from Dumas to Amarillo (100 miles round trip) in an old Ford pick-up, it not only rattled my nerves, but also add to the stress a load of glass windows.  The event in and of itself was a great learning opportunity and for the most part was (thankfully) uneventful.  But aside from this one unforgettable task, much of my work at the hardware store/lumber yard was basically day by day and task by task.

Throughout life we move from one job to another, fulfilling the responsibilities that we face within that task.  Some of us are energetic in our work, never content to wait for the next assignment, but constantly staying busy.  With earnest ambition we do our work swiftly and then move on to the next chore.  Workers like this never let the “grass grow under their feet.”  Any void in their day is quickly filled with some sort of labor.  We affectionately refer to this folks as “the movers and shakers” in our world, ever ready to keep on working.

 

On the other hand, there are some who, when faced with a task, do the work and get the job done in a satisfactory manner.  The work completed may even be above reproach and admirably done.  But the difference comes in the next step.  Rather than searching out new opportunities, they tend to sit back with folded hands and say, “I’m done!”  Or worse yet, they get the work done par-satisfactory and then slink away hoping not to be found when the next need arises.  (By the way, workers like that usually find a pink slip at the close of the week…or at least they should.)

Workers in the Lord’s church might very well be classified as one of the two workers listed above.  Some are go getters who see the job, roll up their sleeves and “Get ‘er done.”  Others, however, will do the work when asked, but ‘What…you want me to do something else?’  We know there is work to do, and many of us will be the first to step up to get that work done.  But the fact of the matter remains, with the work that needs to be done, who will do it?  Unfortunately it’s usually left up to the 20%.  Be careful that you don’t fall into the 80% who are work-less (no, I didn’t say worthless).  Notice this passage from the book of Isaiah.

In Isaiah 6, we read the words of Isaiah as he recalls a vision from the throne room of God; “…I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.”  The song Isaiah hears echoes in our hearts, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts…” But notice Isaiah’s response when he hears a call to action in verse 8; “Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?”  The Lord is calling for a worker and some undoubted would look around and say, ‘Are you talking to me?’  But Isaiah, having just received forgiveness by a burning coal placed on his lips (vs. 6, 7), speaks up and utters the words of a faithful servant: “Here am I.  Send me!”

Come back and let’s continue this discussion again…

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Singers…Good or Not?

When it comes to singing in the Lord’s church, who judges whether someone is a good singer or not?  Should I determine if one voice is better than another?  In February 2000, over 13 years ago, Dan Jenkins wrote an article for the Gospel Advocate that addressed this very topic.  Let’s review some of his timely thoughts on this subject from years gone by…

“I keep hearing some people say that we can really improve our singing in worship if we use microphones to amplify the voices of the best singers in the congregation.  Although at first this might sound like a good idea, everyone should be aware that in (many congregations) this practice has lead to (these ‘singers’ moving to the front row, and then eventually standing up front).  We often are blind(ed by seemly good ideas) when we start down roads that seem innocent.

However, I have been thinking about who the ‘best singers’ are in the church.  I know how we are using the term, but is it possible that God’s view of the best singers might be far different from ours?  Could the following people be ‘the best singers?’

Sitting in the assembly is a lonely widow.  The years have not been kind to her voice, and it often cracks as she sings.  She has served the Lord faithfully for many years.  For more than 40 years she has taught small children in Bible class, and she has seen many of them become leaders in the church.  Her late husband had been a faithful elder who served even better because of her being a godly helpmeet.  She had lifted his burdened spirit (on many occasions).  Listen to her sing – “To Christ be loyal and be true, in noble service prove…”  The melody that comes from her heart (which is important to God) must make her one of the best singers in the church.

In another part of the same auditorium a teenager sits.  He did not grow up in the church and failed music in school.  He comes from a broken home, but OH, how deep his faith is!  He has given up former ungodly friends and stands against the peer pressure that surrounds him.  You may not like (all of his) ‘sour notes,’ but the melody from his soul is so encouraging (to those who ‘listen’) – “O my God, I trust in Thee.  Let me not be ashamed, let not my enemies triumph over me…”  Is he one of the best singers?

Who else is there?  (Look toward the back of the auditorium and perhaps you’ll see) the wife of an alcoholic husband who is doing all he can to destroy her faith and that of her children.  Listen to her (sing), “Be not dismayed what e’er betide, God will take care of you.”  Those who sing off-key and (seem to be singing) monotone may be our best singers!  Maybe we should take another look at what we are doing (before we had out the mikes and decide if the singers in the Lord’s church are good or not).”

Thanks to Dan Jenkins for his encouragement and reminder that our songs must first and foremost be for the glory of God…and then for edification of the saints.