Do you ever judge the gifts and talents of others in church? Do you ever find yourself imposing your own worldly standards to judge the quality and worthiness of a gift that another is giving to God. I must admit, I do, especially if the gift being shared is in an area in which I am also gifted and talented. In fact that is when criticism can be most harsh; my pride rears its ugly head and I think, "I could do better than that." I can't help but wonder what impact this sinfulness has on those who offer to use their gifts to God, but produce quite ordinary results?
You know who I mean - the singer who is off key, the piano player who misses a few notes, the computer geek who creates a so-so web design, or even the speaker who mispronounces a few words. Are the gifts offered to God by these folks acceptable? Do others have the right to critique the gifts these individuals are offering?
I think we have a problem in the church today - we want everything to perfect: the worship service, the music team, the sermon, even the those in the pews, who ought to wear something acceptable and make sure that their little ones aren't disruptive. But is perfection possible, or even desirable? More importantly, is it even biblical, or is it rooted in our own sinful desires?
I really appreciate what John Piper has to say about this issue:
Too many people say, "I'm so ordinary, so average and undistinguished. I can't do anything significant." 2 Corinthians 4:7 shows that this argument is wrong and why. It says, "We have this treasure in earthen vessels (or clay pots!) to show us that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us." God's concept of ministry is so different from the world's concept. The world stresses the classy container, not the glory of God in human weakness. If there is one thing that we are coming to learn together in this church, it is that God's purpose to get the glory in all things determines how we do all things. Here God's purpose is to make sure that we see that the surpassing power belongs to him and not to us. How does he do it? He puts the treasure of his gifts and his gospel in clay pots like you and me. Your ordinariness is not a liability; it is an asset, if you really want God to get the glory. No one is too common, too weak, too shy, too inarticulate, too disabled to do what God wants you to do with your gift. No matter what your condition, you have a gift, and the humble use of it in reliance on the Spirit will bring glory to God. It is no liability to be a clay pot in the kingdom of God.
You know who I mean - the singer who is off key, the piano player who misses a few notes, the computer geek who creates a so-so web design, or even the speaker who mispronounces a few words. Are the gifts offered to God by these folks acceptable? Do others have the right to critique the gifts these individuals are offering?
I think we have a problem in the church today - we want everything to perfect: the worship service, the music team, the sermon, even the those in the pews, who ought to wear something acceptable and make sure that their little ones aren't disruptive. But is perfection possible, or even desirable? More importantly, is it even biblical, or is it rooted in our own sinful desires?
I really appreciate what John Piper has to say about this issue:
Too many people say, "I'm so ordinary, so average and undistinguished. I can't do anything significant." 2 Corinthians 4:7 shows that this argument is wrong and why. It says, "We have this treasure in earthen vessels (or clay pots!) to show us that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us." God's concept of ministry is so different from the world's concept. The world stresses the classy container, not the glory of God in human weakness. If there is one thing that we are coming to learn together in this church, it is that God's purpose to get the glory in all things determines how we do all things. Here God's purpose is to make sure that we see that the surpassing power belongs to him and not to us. How does he do it? He puts the treasure of his gifts and his gospel in clay pots like you and me. Your ordinariness is not a liability; it is an asset, if you really want God to get the glory. No one is too common, too weak, too shy, too inarticulate, too disabled to do what God wants you to do with your gift. No matter what your condition, you have a gift, and the humble use of it in reliance on the Spirit will bring glory to God. It is no liability to be a clay pot in the kingdom of God.
In other words, God isn't interested in the quality of the gift being offered, that's the world's focus. God is interested in the condition of the heart of the giver; and if the intention is to glorify God, then it doesn't matter at all to Him that a note was missed or that a word was mispronounced. God is glorified by our ordinariness if the intent is lift up Jesus as King and Savior. We all find ourselves judging others from time to time, and when we do, it is wise for us to fight against that sin, recognize the seriousness of our judging attitude, and ask God to forgive our prideful arrogance. And for those in a position of influence within the church, may God not only show you your own ordinariness, but may He help you understand your role as overseer within the church you serve.
No comments:
Post a Comment