Builders or Destroyers

What should be done then, my friends? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. – 1 Corinthians 14:26 (NRSV)

Paul is talking about worship here, but might he be talking about life too? What do you have to offer? How can you make a difference? Who has built you up? Who have you built up? What should be done then, my friends?

This was sent to me via e-mail:
I watched them tearing a building down, a gang of men in a busy town. With a ho-heave-ho and lusty yell, they swung a beam and a sidewall fell. I asked the foreman, “Are these men skilled, as the men you’d hire if you had to build?” He gave me a laugh and said, “No indeed! Just common labor is all I need. I can easily wreck in a day or two what builders have taken a year to do.” And I thought to myself as I went my way, which of these two roles have I tried to play? Am I a builder who works with care, Measuring life by the rule and square? Am I shaping my deeds by a well-made plan, patiently doing the best I can? Or am I a wrecker who walks the town, Content with the labor of tearing down?

It is a question each one of us should ask; are we builders or destroyers? When we tear others down that is easy and quick. Recent studies say that children need to hear ten positive things about themselves to combat the negative psychological effects of every one bad thing they hear. We know this is true. A compliment runs off our backs like water, and a hurtful remark will stick with us for a long time. Therefore we must be in the business of building others up. It is what scripture commands us to do, and God knows it is what the world needs. It might take work, and we might have to put a fight, but it is the good fight!

With hope and joy,
Garrett

What Will We Give?

“But me—who am I, and who are these my people, that we should presume to be giving something to you? Everything comes from you; all we're doing is giving back what we've been given from your generous hand.” – 1 Chronicles 29:14 (The Message)

What has God given you? King David spoke these words do they still ring true? Who are we that we should presume to give something to God? What have you given back to God? What will you give back?

On Monday I went to visit with a family. It was a good visit. We shared family stories, we caught up, we laughed, it was nice. At one point someone broke in, “Hey Garrett, I think I really have to tell you this, I think God wants me to tell you this.”
“Alright,” I responded.
“I am going to be talking to teens about stewardship and that they can give their time if they have nothing else.”
“That’s a good idea,” I said.
“Well you know that time can mean as an acronym? It can mean Things Individuals Might Experience. When we give our time others might experience things they wouldn’t otherwise.” The man went on to tell me of a time when he was in his early 20s and went to visit his grandmother for a week. And together they made a quilt. It was something his grandmother loved to do, and it was a special time she cherished with her grandson. Many years later his grandmother has passed away, but it is something he cherishes still. A thing that he might not have experienced had he not given his time to someone he loved.

Sometimes giving something to others is giving something to God. One time I was leading a children’s sermon and asked the children what God looked like. This rambunctious little boy raised his hand up high and said, “God looks like me.” “Why do you say that?” I asked. “Because God lives in me,” he said with assurance of a sage much older than he was then or is now. He was right, God lives in him, and me, and you. When we give our time, we give things individuals might experience. And truly one such individual is always God. What will we give?

With hope and joy,
Garrett

Using God's Gift

This is why I remind you to keep using the gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. Now let it grow, as a small flame grows into a fire. – 2 Timothy 1:6 (NCV)

What gift has God given you? How have you nurtured that gift? Is your gift a small flame or is it a large fire, or maybe on the way to becoming a large fire? What can you do to make that flame bigger?

Right after my son was born I stopped going to the gym. I found every excuse not to go; exhaustion, not wanting to miss moments with him, exhaustion, work I needed to do, exhaustion…
Finally, two months later, I decided it was time to go back to the gym. I started to do the same workout I did before. I couldn’t finish the first set of anything. I didn’t even finish half of the workout. The next day I could barely move.
Two months away from the gym and I had lost most of my strength. The only reason I did not go was because I found excuses not to go when I had all the opportunities.
My mother use to say to me, “If you don’t use it you will lose it.” This is true of the gym evidently, I can’t speak Spanish anymore, and I’ve forgotten more chemistry than most will ever learn. This is the same of God’s gifts to us, if we don’t use them we lose them!

In the parable of the talents, Jesus said that the master took away the talent of the servant who buried it and did not use it. We have to use our talents and our gifts and let them grow into a mighty flame! Pray that today we discover our gift and keep using it so that we might hear Jesus say to us, “Well done good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your master!”

With hope and joy,
Garrett