Doing What We Can

This is the message given at the Oahe Manor service Sunday, January 20, 2013,  The Bible verses are 1 Corinthians 12:1-11.

In our reading for today, the Apostle Paul says that there are different kinds of gifts, different kinds of service, and different kinds of working. Paul also says that’s okay, because all those gifts come from the Holy Spirit, all those kinds of service come from the Lord, and that whenever we are doing work God wants us to do, that’s God at work.

The way I’ve normally thought of this is in terms of the talents and abilities that each of us has. For instance, there are certain things I know how to do—play the piano a little, sing some, speak, write, that sort of thing. There are also certain things I have no idea how to do—build things, work on cars, basically anything that has to do with working with my hands.

And that’s certainly true. As we look at ourselves and at others, we can see that each of us has different talents and abilities, and that’s fine. In fact, it’s a good thing. It encourages us to work together and do things for each other.

There’s another aspect to this, though, which I don’t know that I’ve thought about very much. That is that as we go through our lives, we also have different kinds of gifts, different kinds of service, and different kinds of working. In other words, the way we serve God changes over time.

When we’re little kids, there are a lot of things we cannot do. We can still serve God, but only in certain ways. Part of our service to God, and that point, is to grow, to study, to learn, and to put ourselves in a position to serve God more later in life.

As we grow, the ways we can serve God increase. Still, though, they change over time. For example, in my own life, I was a lawyer for over twenty years. I believe I was serving God that way, at least some of the time. Eventually, though, I was called to serve God in a different way, as a pastor. That’s what I’m doing now.

My plan is to keep doing that for the rest of my life. The thing is, though, that may not be God’s plan. Ten years ago I had no idea I’d be a pastor today. Ten years from now, I may be doing something different. That’s not what I want, but it may be what God wants. I don’t know.

I’m sure each one of you has served God in many ways throughout the course of your lives. You have used a variety of gifts to serve God in your lives. God has worked through you in many different ways, and on many different things.

But here’s what I want you to know: that’s still true. You still have gifts from the Holy Spirit. There are still ways you can serve the Lord. There are still ways you can work for God.

Those ways are not the same as they were twenty or thirty years ago. They may not be the same as they were one year ago. You cannot do all the things you used to be able to do. If you could, you would not be here.

The thing is, and I’m sure you know this, at some point each of us has to make a choice. We can look at all the things we cannot do and be depressed and discouraged. Or, we can look at all the things we still can do, all the gifts we still have, all the ways we still can work for and serve God, and go out and do the best we can.

There is some way, probably several ways, in which each of you can still serve God. If there was not, you would not still be here. God never created a person for no reason, and God has never left a person on earth for no reason. As long as we are still here, there is something we can do, something we are supposed to do, to serve God.

I cannot tell you what it is. You know your gifts and talents and abilities better than I do. I can tell you, though, that each of one us can give a smile to someone who needs one. Each one of us can say a kind word to someone who’s down. Each one of us can be a listening ear to someone who needs to talk. I’m not saying the ways you can serve are limited to those things. I’m just saying that, no matter what your physical condition is, there is still something you can do to show love to others and to serve God.

All of us have lots of things we cannot do. But each of us has something we can do. Let’s focus on doing the things we can, show love to others, and serve God in whatever way we can.