One of the good news elements I share with you today is regarding the vast talent which abides in our members. I began ministry as I had been groomed. I was a control freak. Now that’s quite odd because basically in those days the preacher understood from the elders he controlled little. However, in my zone I still found multiple ways to keep “matters in order”….my order.
The result was one of restriction. I did not trust the talent of others while failing to realize I had the talent of a box of stale corn flakes. My last couple of elder groups have carefully shown me a better way. One of my bigger jobs is to consciously stay out of the way of God working in members. I’m neither the Alpha nor the Omega of discerning ability. I'm not even the Beta or the Theta. God is the One who gets the work done His way….in His people.
Preachers and elders and business meeting leaders, the people around us are quite capable of doing much more than we give them credit. So what if they mess up? So what if they fail? So what? Have we not done the same by blocking gifted ones from getting to serve? From getting to try?
Open up, church leader. Open up the vault of talent by trusting your brothers and sisters to do some of the good stuff. Oh sure, they might fail at their first couple of stabs at it. But, it just could be such will be their training ground to become an awesome talent among us.
In all of our members…….may we LOOK FOR GOD.
1 comment:
Good stuff! You blessed my life about 30 years ago with a sermon "Mediocrity must meet its death" at a convention in Tulsa. It remains both one of the funniest and convicting lessons I have ever heard. Thank you for your continuing faith.
Post a Comment