Clothesline - Edition 226

By Rev. Elizabeth L. Nelson, Pastor

November 20, 2024  

This past Sunday we completed our Stewardship Program for 2025 with a discussion surrounding the “Talents” God has given us and how we use them.

Most of us think of talents in terms of something great, instead of just something we might be good at. Skills is another word, but that too makes some people think they must be really skilled to be useful.

I’ve learned a lot about talent in our church over these past few years and I’ve come to think of talent and skills in a new light. The secret ingredient is motivation. I learned that if a person desires a certain outcome, wants to be part of the solution, and has faith in themselves, talent abounds in any task. Persons from the ages of sixty-five to eighty-five have transformed our facility into a place of beauty. There was no paycheck at the end of each job, but there was a sense of accomplishment. Why? Because each project was planned with one simple end in mind: to do the work God had given them to do making our simple facility a beautiful church.

I’ve learning that when the love of God is the motivation for our tasks, the joint pains and the tiring hours are worth it. Working for God takes on a new meaning. I’m reminded of the three years that Jesus and his apostles walked hundreds of miles from one town to another, being evangelists to those who would listen. They left jobs and families to follow Jesus and spread the Gospel: Jesus loves you and there is a place for you in heaven when you leave this world. And what was their motivation? Perhaps at first it was curiosity, but it surely became faith that they had found the Messiah, the Son of God. And did they have any particular talents or abilities? One guy had a skill: Matthew—he was a tax collector. That couldn’t have been much help in spreading the Gospel. But his love of Jesus was worth more than his ability to count money!

Motivation. That’s what we all need to do the work God has given us to do. You can be young or old, male or female, sweet or cantankerous! Personality doesn’t matter. God can motivate anyone to do His work.

So, remember that you are a special person in the eyes of God. You have something to offer. All you need is a love and motivation that you have a job to do in this life to further His Kingdom.