Potential

The eye can’t say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” In fact, it is just the opposite. The parts of the body that seem to be weaker are the ones we can’t do without. The parts that we think are less important we treat with special honor. The private parts aren’t shown. But they are treated with special care. The parts that can be shown don’t need special care. But God has put together all the parts of the body. And he has given more honor to the parts that didn’t have any. In that way, the parts of the body will not take sides. All of them will take care of one another. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it. If one part is honored, every part shares in its joy. You are the body of Christ. Each one of you is a part of it. (1 Corinthians: 21-27)

Some friends recently purchased one of the oldest and most grand houses in our neighborhood. The house sits high atop one of the only hills in an otherwise flat town. Many years ago, the house was the gem of the neighborhood, but for the last few decades it sat abandoned - well, except for the mice, squirrels, insects, and other pests who took up residence and destroyed the house from the inside out. Thankfully, the exterior brick remained, but the inside was rotten.

Sadly, the house became a casualty of a nasty divorce. The word around town is that the wife who lived far away refused to sell and did not want to take care of it. To make the house liveable again, our friends had to completely gut the inside and take the walls down to the studs. 

At one time the house was incredibly valuable, but since no one took time to care for it, it gradually fell apart. All of the builder’s hard work to create a majestic home slowly rotted away due to neglect.

We all have talents and gifts that are uniquely ours given by God. He wove them into our hearts and our souls. His purpose is accomplished when we all accept our gifts, using them to love Jesus and others. Maybe you know what these gifts are, and maybe you need to pray more into figuring them out. But either way, you have them and they need to be used. Jesus has invested in you. He lovingly created you and gave you these gifts.

But when we neglect and ignore these gifts, the house falls apart. Our souls slowly deteriorate.  Vermin make their way into our hearts and destroy us from the inside out. Not a pretty picture, is it?

Use your gifts to generate a solid return for the kingdom. Use your personality. Use your calendar.  Use your checkbook.  

Jesus can do it on his own. He doesn’t need us but He is so happy when we perform to our full created potential. The true joy we experience from a life well-lived is priceless.

Father, help me take action today to use the gifts You have provided for me. Give me the wisdom to understand how I can serve, the direction to proceed, and the willpower to act, so that in my actions, You will be pleased.