Using What You Have in God’s Kingdom
BY PASTOR CHRIS OTTS
How to Embrace What God’s Already Given You
STAR OF THE B-TEAM
When I was young and involved in athletics, I considered myself an all-time B-Team player who barely made it to the A-Team. My mantra was, “I am a mediocre player on a good team.”
However, God graciously authored a new story for me: "You are a uniquely gifted player who makes good teams great."
Then later as an adult, I saw myself playing two distinctly different roles in my family – I was always either the intentional one or the silly one. Rarely any in-between.
I spent years thinking something was wrong with me until my family affirmed that they cherished my unique personality. It even allowed them the freedom to occupy their own distinctive roles in our family fabric.
Why is it that we often focus on what we lack rather than recognizing what we already possess?
PETER HEALS THE CRIPPLED BEGGAR
In Acts 3:1-10, Peter quickly recognized what he did and didn’t have:
“One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, ‘Look at us!’ So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.
Then Peter said, ‘Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.’ Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.”
THE GIFT OF GOD’S OWN SPIRIT
Peter knew that the most valuable thing he could give to this man was God’s Spirit.
Having studied this passage numerous times, it just dawned on me that what we often overlook. This man was supernaturally healed because Peter and John believed the most valuable thing they could offer was God's Spirit within them. They knew the true nature of God through their close relationship with Jesus and witnessing His miracles firsthand.
But what made Peter and John so certain that God's Spirit was the best gift they could give? I believe it was their profound understanding of who Jesus was, not just what He did.
THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS
We find a similar emphasis in a story Jesus told in Matthew 25. This parable about a master and his three servants illustrates the impact of our perception of God on our willingness to use the gifts He gives us.
The first two servants took the money their master had entrusted to them and invested it, both doubling what they had been given.
The third servant, however, took what he was given and hid it. His skewed perception of his master and comparison of what he received led him to make decisions solely out of fear.
Does his experience resonate with you? I've felt similar, especially in my first job after college, which was far from glamorous or fulfilling. Comparing my circumstances with seemingly successful peers, I felt overlooked and insignificant. I began to view myself like that "third servant,” feeling that my gifts and contributions didn't matter.
“COMPARISON IS THE THIEF OF JOY”
Comparison and misinterpretation of who God is can often mislead us. It can diminish the value of the gifts we have, leading us to ignore the real opportunities before us.
What story are you telling yourself? Are you focusing on the perceived worth of the "bags of gold" you've been given, or are you stuck in a narrative of perceived scarcity and fear?
Have you ever been out to dinner and found yourself straining to hear those at your table because of another boisterous table, too many TVs, or loud music?
That is what comparison does in our lives. The competing noise drowns out the story that God is telling about your life by getting you to focus on someone else’s life.
YOU MATTER!
The truth is, each one of us holds tremendous value. You are not less than. God has designed you with unique gifts and talents. Now, more than ever the world needs people who aren’t going to bury what they have been given in the ground.
God is inviting us is to take notice of the people that we work with, live next to, share a home with, or run into as we pickup groceries. To see others the way Peter and John did—that we have a gift to offer.
When you bring what you have in the situations God has ordained for you each day, the people around you experience the presence of God living in you.
NEXT STEPS
What can you do today? Take a few moments and think about your unique circumstances.
Who has God put in your life this season
What places are you regularly encountering others?
Now think about your gifts and how you might use them. It could be…
The gift of hospitality to open your home
The gift of leadership to instill confidence and guide others
Great listening skills and a compassionate heart to support a friend battling anxiety or depression
Maybe you need to figure out what your spiritual gifts are or even what your personality strengths may be, via Meyers-Briggs, Ennegram or another assessment.
No matter what you have to offer, there is always an opportunity for you to extend your hand and say, “I may not have what you expected, but what I do have I freely give to you.”
What we think we or others need is often not even close to what God truly has for us. The beggar wanted a few coins. Instead he received a miracle.