Be the Letter

So this week I just feel like the Spirit is moving and something new is coming. Not that there is truly anything new (the Bible says there is nothing new under the sun), but I just feel something fresh and different is coming. Maybe it’s a new opportunity, maybe it’s a chance to do something different, maybe it’s a chance to step more fully into your ministerial calling. I’m not fully clear on exactly what it is, but it just feels like we are coming into a season of new beginnings and fresh starts.

With that said, I want to encourage you to remember that you are truly unique. God made you special and there is a certain group of people that you can connect with. For me, I connect with women and junior high kids (don’t ask why, it’s just part of the group of people God gave me to reach). Because we are all unique, and God gave each of us a specific area of ministry according to the gifts and talents He gave us, the work we do is very likely going to be different than the next person’s work. We can’t compare our assignment to anyone else because no one else has the exact same assignment. There may be people who come alongside us to do similar work, but no one is going to do it the same way YOU are going to do it.

It’s time to dig in and be about our Father’s work. It’s not too late, (in fact, it’s never too late). Time is short and the world is not getting any better — Jesus is coming soon and we need to be spreading the message of the Gospel any way we can. And the interesting thing is because you have a unique story to tell, you can share that message in a way that only you can — which can connect with people who get where you’re coming from. If you’ve come out of a checkered past, others who have been (or are) in similar situations will understand who you are and they’ll get the importance of what God did for you. Find those people! What group is on your heart? Who can you connect with? Who would identify with your story?

Two passages of scripture I want to dig into this morning:

  1. 2 Corinthians 3:2-3. Talks about embodying the letter of Christ. In this time period, Paul would write the letters to the churches and then sometimes messengers would be the ones to take the letters to the church and they had to convey the message in the same way Paul would want the letter to be conveyed. They would have to BE the letter. I want to encourage us to BE the letter of Christ to those around us. Can people read the gospel message in the life you’re living? One guy this week reminded me that “sometimes we may be the only Bible someone ever reads.” Be the message of Christ in the earth. Be the letter of Christ to the world.
  2. Ephesians 4:11-16. This passage talks about the different ministerial gifts. We each have different gifts and different purposes in the Kingdom, but we are all part of one body. There is room for you in the Kingdom of God. There is room for your gift to be useful. After all, God made you just the way you are with the unique quirks, personality, and abilities. There is something you can do for God — don’t look down on yourself because maybe your work is different than someone else’s. Don’t look down on yourself because your work doesn’t put you on stage. That doesn’t make it any less important. Not everyone needs to be on stage. You know sometimes people ask me why I’m not on stage leading worship — because believe it or not, it’s a stereotype that pastor’s wives should be able to sing and play piano and lead worship — because in the past, most pastors wives have had to fulfill that role when they start a church. And if you will notice, my giftings are in the VISUAL arts… you really don’t want to hear me sing. That’s not a gift God gave me, so I’m not going to force myself to operate in that area. I let other’s who are gifted in music do that work and I’m not upset about it! I stick to the things I’m good at, like the technical behind the scenes stuff in the sound booth, or youth ministry, or writing devotionals, or making graphics or videos for all the fun stuff we do at church. My work may not look like anyone else’s and it may not even line up to some expectations that some people have about what pastors wives should be doing (please don’t make me sing! LOL) but that doesn’t matter. Those people are not my boss. God is my boss. It only matters what God thinks of me and if I’m doing what He wants me to do.

So as we’re journaling this morning, I’d encourage you to read the two passages above:

  • 2 Corinthians 3:2-3
  • Ephesians 4:11-16

And journal through some questions. How is God speaking to you through these passages? What specific things do you feel you are called to do? Are you already doing those things, or are there ways you can improve? How does the letter of your life look? Are you fully living the letter of Christ for the world to see or could you tighten up the message your life is showing? Have you been comparing your assigned work to someone else’s? What can you do to focus more on your unique work? Are there skills or things you need to learn to do better at it? Classes you can take or books you need to read? What is one step you can take today to move closer to that specific calling?

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