This morning I awoke to pleasant thoughts about listening to radio/television voice personality, Brian Stickley singing in our church yesterday. Most of you have probably heard Brian on WSOC/TV channel 9, since he is our local traffic cop. I’ve heard his well spoken voice ushering in traffic watches and delays across the airways of TV and radio many times over the past few years. I’m sure you have as well. When you hear a voice like his over and again, you get used to the talk. However, when you hear that voice in song it’s quite different. I was thrilled to enjoy the beauty and eloquence in Brian’s voice singing while his son strummed the guitar on Sunday. What a dynamic duo, I thought when the song concluded and Brian hobbled away on crutches; having recently undergone a little minor surgery. What a trooper he was as our pastor so eloquently put it…”in more ways than one”, he said with a chuckle.
What a gift God has given Brian to be able to talk and sing as he does. This reminds me that we all have gifts and talents that God wants us to use. Oh, ours may not be as vocal or as out front as Brian’s but you can bet that whatever God has given you; it’s just as valuable. For example, my husband’s passion lies in helping meet other’s physical needs. He is gifted with his hands beyond the average in that he can do most anything he wants to do. We’ve never had to call in a repairman to fix anything in our home. That’s a gift. My passion on the other hand is much less visible because I love to read and write. God uses all of our heart passions for our good and His glory if we will only make ourselves willing and available for service.
How about you? What are you passionate about? What is it that you love to do? Perhaps God is calling you to lead a small group or to be more hospitable. Maybe He wants you to venture out on the mission field to help others come to know Him. Whatever it is that you love to do, God wants to use that passion to help others.
I am still quite utterly amazed when God not only gives me the subject matter to write about but the Scripture reference as well. For example, after these thoughts came to mind this morning, I flipped my Bible open to Matthew 3:10 which reads; Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.
You see, just as fruit trees are expected to bear fruit, God’s people should produce a crop of good deeds. God has no use for people who call themselves Christians but live otherwise. If others can’t see our faith in the way that we treat them, we may not be God’s people at all. To be productive for God, we must obey His teachings and actively serve and help others. How productive are you for God? The truth is, we will be held accountable for how we’ve used what God has given to each one of us.
