“Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching;8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.” Romans 12:6-8 ESV
I received an email from our District office notifying me of the passing of a missionary who served our fellowship for many years. We are notified when any credentialed member or family passes. Each time, I am thankful for their calling and impact on many lives for Jesus. I pray for their families and, most of the time, move on with the day. This time it was different. It was a name that I have a very fond memory of. Years ago, he and his wife came to speak at our church on a Wednesday night. I was a young staff pastor who didn’t know a lot about the profession I was called into. I had a lot to learn about the culture of the local church and how it was used in the mission of reaching the world. On this night, God used this man to touch my heart with missions.
One of the things I have learned over the years is that it doesn’t take long to make an impact on others for Jesus when you are teaching, preaching, giving, loving, and serving from the anointing God places on your life. Notice I said anointing. Missionaries are called to go to the nations and serve, not hang out in churches in their homeland and share what they want to do. They do the mission and when given a chance on itinerary they come back and share with the local church all of the things God is doing. This is what this missionary was doing. He was fulfilling his calling in this small classroom of believers. He was teaching, sharing from his experience and God was using it. This young preacher was listening.
Paul in our text says that whatever God has gifted us to do, we are to simply do it. Don’t talk about it. Do it! And when we do, do it well. We have all been given gifts and talents to fulfill our assignments. Paul says we are members who make up the body of Christ. We all have purpose and need one another to function well. We each have a measure of faith that God gives to help us, grace to be faithful when we serve. When I think about this missionary, that is what he was doing the day he was teaching the class I was attending. He had a gift; he was communicating about that gift with a passion that fueled the gift and a love for those he was called to share Jesus with. He wasn’t going through the motions, but rather he took a Wednesday night, mid-week missions service in the 90’s and impacted a young man who would one day pastor the church where this class was being taught.
Did this missionary walk away that night and say to himself, “Wow, I impacted AB Bennett’s life!” Probably not. He may have been talking about the lousy offering he got. (Just Kidding). He most likely had no idea, but what he did do was what he was gifted to do, and God used it in a very special way.
When I closed the email, I took some time to reflect about that day when God used this missionary to speak to me. I visited the room where it took place all those years ago. The times I have taught in this room I couldn’t even count, but each time I did teach, I realized at that moment, my teaching was impacted by a seed of what this missionary planted in me when he gave freely of his gift. God has given you a gift. Use it and when you do, do it well. You never know, who will greatly benefit from what you choose to give away.
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