It seems like we have been fighting water problems for several weeks at our house. First, we had an underground leak. We got that repaired and the ground fixed and thought all our problems were behind us. Then our water pressure dropped. Fearing another leak, I checked everything I could to discover what was going on.
Thankfully, we know a retired plumber who was kind enough to help us. After confirming it wasn’t a leak, he used all his knowledge to figure out where our problem was occurring. Plumbing is a methodical, step-by-step process. We worked on one part and confirmed it was working properly. We fixed one issue, thinking we had discovered our problem, only to find out the problem still existed.
My retired plumber was persistent. We had to do some extra work to get to the source of my problem. When he showed me what had caused my problem I couldn’t believe it. We put everything back together and we finally heard the sound we had been listening for…water flowing through the pipes. You never saw two happier guys. My wife and I are so thankful that he persevered until he finally got it. It is so nice to have free flowing water again!
I saw the same concept at church the last couple of Saturdays. We had some work days to do spring cleaning and a list of other projects that needed attention around our facility. When it comes to working around church, I prefer to work outside. I like getting the flower bed cleaned up, planting the spring flowers, and putting the pine needles down. There is also trimming some limbs off trees and using blowers to clear the parking lots of loose debris. Some of the other guys were cleaning out the gutters, using the power washer to clean the building and the sidewalks, and spraying all the weeds.
There was lots of work being done inside, too. There were people cleaning out closets; yes, churches collect junk, too. The kitchen, refrigerator, and freezer needed attention. Light bulbs were replaced throughout the building. Wow, did that make a difference.
There were others who cleaned up the children’s rooms. We are preparing to begin children’s church again and things needed to get straightened up. We had a couple of our carpenter-gifted members creating an awesome classroom for our older kids. Then there were those who can paint that were making dynamic and exciting classroom art.
There has been some creative genius released at our church. There are going to be some excited kids learning all about Jesus, faith, and the Bible when they come to these classrooms. The kids are going to be in an exciting environment, have fun while they are learning, and go home with a deeper love and knowledge of God’s word.
One of the things I noticed as I walked around to see what others were doing is how much talent we have at our church. I watched guys doing carpentry work; I don’t have those skills. I watched the painters create really cool designs on the walls of the classrooms. I can’t do that, either. I saw people organizing rooms; that’s not a skill I possess. I saw people cleaning and repairing things. While I could do those things, I prefer to be outside working. Some of the younger guys were doing heavy work that I prefer not to do at my age.
What I am trying to point out is that it took each person bringing their individual talents and abilities for all the work to be done. God needs each one of us to use our talents and skills in order for the work of His kingdom to be accomplished. He needs teachers, evangelists, pastors, elders, deacons, choir members, bookkeepers, and maintenance workers. He needs you to use your talents, skills, and abilities in many different ways to get all His work done. The most important thing all of us can do to move His Kingdom forward is prayer. Prayer changes everything.
I want to encourage you to offer up all your talents to God. Sometimes He needs your hands to help clean things up. Other times He needs you to be His mouth to speak words of life and hope to the discouraged. He may need you to put your arm around someone and let them know they are not alone. God needs you to let your light shine in your corner of the world. You are His representative and He will use you uniquely to reach people with His love. God needs every skill, including the ones you have, to get all His work done.
