There was once a man who had brought
work home from the office. That evening, he was sitting at the dining room table
working when his little seven-year-old daughter came in to see what he was
doing. “I’m working on this big project for my office,” he told her. “I can’t
play with you tonight; I’m sorry.”
“That’s okay,” his daughter replied. “When you finish,
I’m going to give you a big hug.” Having said that, she stood there for a
moment, then gently pulled the pen out of her father’s hand, climbed up into his
lap, put her arms around him, and squeezed him tightly.
“What is that for?” the father asked. “I’m not finished
yet.”
“I know,” said the girl, “I just wanted you to know
what it’s going to feel like when you do get done.”
In the first letter of Peter, we read these words:
“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully
administering God’s grace in its various forms” (I Peter 4:10). As Christians,
we believe that each soul has been given at least one gift to be used for the
Kingdom of God. Indeed, most of us are abundantly blessed, with several gifts to
be used and enjoyed in a variety of situations. Some of these gifts and talents
are large, and bold, and colorful; they can be used to affect the lives of many
people. We celebrate those gifts, and rightly so.
Some gifts and talents, however, are quiet and easy to
overlook. They do not call attention to themselves but instead are found in the
background, behind the scenes.
Missionaries, for instance, travel to distant lands
answering the call of God. They bring the Gospel to lost souls. They work to
alleviate poverty, and ignorance, and oppression. To do these vitally important
tasks, they have vitally important gifts, specific skills and talents to use in
their ministries. The church has traditionally celebrated those dedicated souls
who answer the call of God to serve in foreign cultures. We invite them to our
churches, we pray for them regularly, and we support them with our finances. We
should continue to do all that.
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But what about the
people working here at home in the foreign mission office?
What about the accountants, who watch over all the
missionaries of a particular denomination, making sure that
none of them lacks for financial resources? The ability to
handle money wisely, keeping track of each dollar given and
dispersing funds properly and timely—that ability is a talent
employed in this instance for the Kingdom of God, a gift just
a spiritual and just as important as the ability to share the
Gospel with an Australian bushman. Without accountants,
secretaries, file clerks, treasurers, development officers,
and other support staff, there would be no missionaries, and
the Gospel would not get spread.
In the story above, the father was doing important
work. So was the little girl. She had a spiritual gift, and
she used it. Her arms and her love brought joy and comfort to
her hard-working father. She encouraged her father and
exhorted him on with the promise of reward at the end. That is
a spiritual gift!
Some people have the gift of hospitality; they can make
anyone feel at home, anywhere. Some people have the gift of
cooking; they can provide delicious food to fill the body and
bring contentment to the soul. Some people are skilled at
music; some can learn foreign languages easily; some have a
special rapport with young children. We all have gifts to
share.
As we enter the autumn of 2007, as school resumes and
the congregation begins to prepare for the holidays, let us do
two things.
First, let us seek out ways that we can use our own
gifts for our God and our neighbors.
And second, let us remember the quiet ones, the
background workers, the support staff, and all others who work
quietly, behind the scenes, employing their gifts, skills, and
talents in the service of the Kingdom. Be sure to look for
them; they can be hard to notice, but they are there, and they
deserve our thanks and praise just as surely as anyone else.
What can you do for the Kingdom?
And who needs to hear your gratitude?
God bless the missionaries!
And God bless the accountants!
God bless us all!
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