Who is God? Assignment Administrator, Talent Tech, Disposition Distributor

The barely audible words wobbled and cracked in my throat. “Hello. Umm, welcome, I mean, uh, I’m glad you’re here.” The 4th graders gathered before me continued chatting and snickering, completely unaware of my introduction. “Hi, everyone! I’m so glad you’re here this morning!” I tried again with more volume and a forced “cheery bounce.” An odd silence descended upon the classroom. Casual sniffs and coughs echoed off the white concrete walls. At the time, I was 17 years old and 27 seconds into the first day of Vacation Bible School. At 31 seconds, I panicked and wondered what I had gotten myself into. Twelve pairs of eyes were now fixed on me, and as my face flushed with embarrassment, the memory flashed in my mind as to why I was there.

Award for “Best Servant” or “Dumbest Idea Ever”

Two weeks earlier at church, I overheard someone say they desperately needed a leader for the upcoming 9 to 10-year-old VBS class. Puffed up with an “I’ll save them” attitude, I courageously offered my holy services, knowing I’d receive a big “WOW-what-would-we-have-done-without-you” trophy! In a moment of being “really nice,” I had ignored the obvious about myself: I was slightly afraid of children (Most high school junior girls love to babysit. I only relented with hefty bribery IF accompanied by heartfelt begging). As an only child to older parents, I remained clueless about how to interact with kids younger than me. I hated loud noises. People described me as serious, precocious, and a textbook introvert.

One minute ticked by as I stumbled through a lackluster “VBS first day” speech. My last-ditch hope of some toddler in the nursery accidentally setting off the fire alarm failed to materialize. I had gotten myself into this, so I had to proceed. Since the week’s theme was “Noah’s Ark,” I launched into an exegetical lecture on Genesis 6 and 7, peppering my audience with facts on gopher wood and “cubits.” My pupils yawned in utter boredom. Desperate for an attention-getter, I pulled out my guitar. Though only a few days earlier I mastered holding my new instrument properly, I thought surely I could eke out “Jesus Loves Me.” My fingers, not surprisingly, fumbled and slipped over strings. Wrong chords and muted singing faded into the adjoining stairwell. Graciously, the kids trudged through the remaining lessons and craft time to conclude day one. Completely exhausted, I flopped into the bucket seat of my rusty blue Buick Skylark, thinking unless the church burned to the ground, I had no other choice but to finish the rest of the week.

Good Intentions vs. Effective Ministry

In that summer of 1994, I learned good intentions, although noble, do not make good ministries. Guilt (and pride) overwhelmed my judgment. I was available, after all, and without prayerful consideration, excuses to say “no” in my mind weren’t good enough. I believe God planned to bring in the right person to effectively love on and teach those kids - most of whom had probably never stepped foot in a church, but I stepped in and took someone else’s place. Despite lacking patience, talent, and passion for working with young children, I figured God would use me anyway to display His love. The lesson best learned came from the Lord to my own heart: I love you. You are gifted, yet I never asked you to take on this task.

God-Ordained Talent vs. Pretend Proficiency

God, who made every unique and brilliantly designed animal that stood in an enormous boat with Noah, has a no less masterful touch when distributing specialized dispositions to humans. Apostle Paul writes in Romans 12:6, “…God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well.” Stepping back into Old Testament times, scriptures detail when God acts as Divine Administrator, giving assignments to specific individuals based on their skill:

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Look, I have specifically chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts. He is a master craftsman, expert in working with gold, silver, and bronze. He is skilled in engraving and mounting gemstones and in carving wood. He is a master at every craft! And I have personally appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to be his assistant. Moreover, I have given special skill to all the gifted craftsmen so they can make all the things I have commanded you to make…" (Exodus 31:1-6, NLT)

All the women who were skilled in sewing and spinning prepared blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine linen cloth [for the tabernacle]. (Exodus 35:25, NLT)

Kenaniah, the head Levite, was chosen as the choir leader because of his skill. (1Chronicles 15:22, NLT)

SO, I doubt Bezalel and Oholiab corralled kids and camels in the desert sand during readings of Moses’ Law. They would have looked as ridiculous as I did and felt the same mental (and physical) exhaustion. Trust me, pretending to be proficient in things you should honestly take the sidelines in only produces weariness and will definitely not bring praise to God.

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms…so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 4:10-11 NIV)

And God not only bestows physical know-how but spiritual strength: A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have. (1 Corinthians 12:7-11, NLT)

Not Your Assignment? Say, “Pass!”

Saying “no” to a service opportunity you honestly feel God is not leading you to do may be perceived as “stingy disobedience.” I think that’s called “spiritual discernment.” Many years have passed since that First Baptist Church VBS fiasco, and I still haven’t learned how to play “Jesus Loves Me” on my (now dust-covered) guitar. That’s OK; I’ll grasp my pen and paper in solitude while others praise Christ on stage. Passionate service using our God-given talents and gifts always wins over awkward duty. When tempted to “save the day,” remember Jesus is the only one who truly saves.

I am looking for one who will watch and wait For My beckoning hand, My eye Who will do in My manner, the work that I give And the work I give not, pass by ~Unknown

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