December 3, 2023

I Peter 4: 10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. (NIV)

It is with consistently dependable people that God’s work moves forward.*

As I moved up in my career, I was given more and more work to do as I proved myself capable of handling it. But then a funny thing began to happen: as I continued to be promoted, I started doing less. I was responsible for more but I had to delegate many of the tasks that used to be part of my job. Some of those tasks I did well and/or enjoyed doing; some I was glad to pass on to others. The important thing was to give the jobs to those who could do them best for the good of the organization.

I see a similar pattern in the church. I have been a member of small congregations where, if my family didn’t show up, they couldn’t “have church.” When I was teenager, for instance, my dad was the preacher/song-leader/adult Sunday school teacher; my mom was the children’s Sunday school teacher (and the soloist when special music was on the agenda); and I was the piano player. In small churches, the few have to wear many hats to get the job done, whether it’s their special gift or not. As the church grows, it becomes necessary – in a very good way – to spread out the tasks to those who are most capable and willing to do them. The more that a congregation is able to do well, and the more involved its members become, the more the church grows – for the good of the organization and the kingdom.

Peter may not have been thinking about the size of the congregation when he wrote the words of today’s verse, but he surely had the good of the kingdom in mind when he urged us to use our gifts to serve others and faithfully administer God’s grace. It’s just part of our job description.

The gifts God has entrusted to us belong to the community of believers.*