Begin with two minutes of silence and stillness before God.
We’re back again. You’re welcome for having Backstreet Boys stuck in your head for the next 24 hours. Speaking of music and seamless segways, one of the very few gifts that I possess is my ability to play the drums. I grew up in a small church, pastored by my grandfather, which kept the same 20-25 members with no interest in change. Week in and week out, my brothers and I would witness new, young, hopeful attendees walking through the doors of this church. Our excitement lasted about 3-4 seconds, only to realize they would never return to a seemingly dead congregation. One Sunday, I entered the church to find a brand new Yamaha Stage Custom drum set with a shimmering green wrap. And yes, it did complement the carpet and the chairs. I asked my grandfather if we had somehow found a victim to join our church and play the drums. In fact, we had not. He bought the drum set in hopes that God would send a drummer to our church to help lead worship. While waiting on the seemingly impossible event that a talented musician would darken the doors of our church, I began to mess around on the drums before and after church. As it turns out, God had me in mind to fill that position. Through many attempts at trying to produce licks I heard on the radio onto the canvas of the drum set before me, as well as many sleepless nights playing Rock Band on the Xbox with friends, I’ll be danged if I didn’t become a drummer. While I would hardly call myself a talented musician, I am forever grateful for my grandfather’s faith and for God's willingness to bestow to me the talent to play the drums. It has led me to many rooms and given me many experiences that have helped grow my faith, and, I hope, led people in worship.
God has given us all gifts. In Chapter 12, Paul describes us as a body. We all know how integral each body part is to the functions of our daily lives. It is the same with the body of believers. Verses 3- 8 describe how we are given gifts and are to use them accordingly. Paul also describes being a living sacrifice with our lives. We are to use these gifts to further His Kingdom. Our commonality in Christ is what binds us together, but our individuality and our gifts are what make us most effective in serving Him. We all know people in our lives who do things we can not, and we are grateful for relationships with those people because they bring light to the dark areas of our lives. As part of being a living sacrifice, we are to use those gifts first and foremost for His Kingdom.
Take two minutes to reflect in silence.