God's Gift to ...

You’ve heard the expression, “He (or she) thinks he is God’s gift to ________.” When that is said, there’s always a derisive or antagonistic tone, as if the speaker is saying, “I can’t stand to be with him because he’s so arrogant.”

I’ve known some second chair leaders who feel that they are God’s gift to their churches. In fact, at times I’m guilty as charged. The truth is that the skills and demands of the second chair role give us plenty of reason to think this way. We’re often like the talented juggler who can keep many balls (or flaming torches) in the air without dropping a single one. Add to that a couple of church members who say, “I don’t know how we’d get along without you” and our egos can get super-charged pretty quickly.

As I read Romans 12:3 this week, I had a new insight into this phrase. We’re told to view ourselves with sober judgment, but the passage goes on to exhort us to use the gifts that God has given. Perhaps it’s OK to think of ourselves as “God’s gift” as long as we properly define the phrase. If God is the gift-giver, then that should remove the swagger from our step. We’re not doing great things; God is doing them through us. This also makes it His choice when and how those gifts are used. It should help us take our responsibilities – being good stewards of whatever we’re given – seriously and yet at the same take ourselves less seriously. So go out and serve today as God’s gift to your church.