On a recent NASCAR television broadcast, Kyle Petty, a
former driver and now a television race commentator, was talking about one
driver who was unable to pull any closer to the lead than fifth place in the
race no matter how hard or well he drove his automobile. Petty said, “Sometimes you just have a
fifth place car.”
Then, Petty added this, “When that happens, your
responsibility is to come in fifth.”
Do not make excuses. Do
your best with what has been given to you. You are responsible for your use of what you have been
given.
Christians call this stewardship. To be a steward is to manage the property or affairs
of another person. Christians are
expected to use their God-given gifts to further the work of the Lord.
What? You say that you do not seem to have any “gifts?” All Christians have at least one gift,
the unearned and unearnable free grace of God who spent the most valuable thing
in the universe, the life of Jesus Christ, to provide for our salvation. He spent this resource for me and for
you, as a gift to us, as if each of us was the only one. The sacrifice of Jesus did restore
order to the entire universe, but it also was made for each of us … individually. A gift.
No Christian should think to use their lack of ability as an
excuse for not performing a task which God has clearly assigned to them. He gives us whatever time or resources we
need to do whatever He asks because nothing and no one can stand in His way or
prevent Him from achieving His purposes.
“For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall
disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it
back?” Isaiah 14:27
As members of the ἐκκλησία we each have been given specific
gifts so that we may perform specific functions. “And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden
of Eden to dress it and to keep it.” Genesis 2:15
All the gifts are needed and none of the gifts are more
important than any of the others for the proper function of God’s plan. Some can teach, some can comfort, some
can do manual chores, some can provide financial resources, some can preach,
some can pray, some can nurture faith in others, some can care for the sick,
some can cook, some have a special connection with children, some are judges,
some are peacemakers. All the
gifts are exercised under the leadership of the Holy Spirit..
“For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all
the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is
Christ.” 1 Corinthians 12:12
“For as we have many members in one body, and all members have
not the same office:” Romans 12:4
“As every man hath received the gift, even so minister
the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” 1
Peter 4:10
“For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not
the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every
one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace
that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the
proportion of faith;” Romans 12:4-6
James, the brother of
Jesus, gave us the other side of this, a warning. “Therefore to him that knoweth to do
good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” James 4:17
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