By Danny Minton

Over my years in ministry, I have observed many who love the Lord doing things that may seem small to some of us, but are successful because of their passion. A woman I admired made small burial garments for stillborn infants. A man who quietly made sure the baptistry was always kept clean and, when he noticed a woman’s feet couldn’t reach the floor, built a small step and set it where she sat on Sunday morning. A woman who quietly sent and graded Bible correspondence courses to hundreds of people in a foreign country. A man who always carried a $100 bill solely to give to someone he came across who was in dire need. And one that touched me personally was a couple who adopted me for Sunday lunch every week when I first came to Abilene Christian College. All of these and many others are examples of using gifts from God.

Several years ago, I knew some women who were great servants of the Lord. They probably did more in evangelism than many preachers and members I’ve known over the years. They were always in a Bible study “one-on-one” with someone. But there was one problem: their attitude toward fellow Christian brothers and sisters. They felt that if you weren’t doing “one-on-one” teaching, you really weren’t doing the Lord’s work. In other words, “if you’re not doing what I’m doing”, you’re not doing what the Lord expects of you.

Unfortunately, this is similar to the attitude that many laypeople or leaders have when it comes to serving. We look at personal passion and believe that’s what we all should be doing. People get upset when others don’t see it the way they do. They become defensive if you question it or bring up alternatives. They just can’t understand why you don’t see things the way they do.

But Christians are different. We have different talents. We have different passions. We have different desires. We often see the world through different eyes and at different angles. Tensions arise when we come across with the attitude “if you’re not doing what I’m doing,” you’re going the wrong direction. 

In reality: Not everyone can do “one-on-one” Bible studies; not everyone can visit the hospitals; not everyone can help the grieving; not everyone works well with the homeless; not everyone can teach a class; not everyone can lead a mission trip; and, for that matter, not everyone can even go on one.

Trying to fit people into my mold of what I think is most important can cause frustration for both me and those around me. Ten people with a passion for ministry can do more than 100 people in the same ministry who are just numbers. 

The challenge churches face is not to come up with projects for the sake of projects, but to develop projects that align with members’ passions. The most successful ministries are those with people serving with passion for that ministry. Sure, they may not be our passion. Sure, they may not fit what “I” think should be done. Sure, I may have no passion for them whatsoever. But is serving the Lord about Him or about me?

We should encourage each other to find our gift. The gift that shows Christ to those around us. We should encourage each other to find opportunities to put our gifts into action. Maybe it’s not what we would do, but we should be supportive of them as they develop and use the gifts that God has endowed them with. 

I was talking with a minister about his wife’s comments in the paper on handwriting. This minister is left-handed, but when he was in school, the teachers made him write with his right hand. He said his handwriting today is terrible. After struggling with this, his parents finally went to the teachers and basically said, “We’re left-handed, and our son is left-handed, so quit trying to force him to do something with which he’s not comfortable.”

Trying to get people to do things they are uncomfortable with will be frustrating for both of you. People put to work in their comfort zone can almost always do great things for the Lord.

By the way, if you are reading this article, you are observing someone using their gift to share with all of you. Oh, not me. This site is made possible by Loretta Fulton, who uses her gift of journalism to share the Lord in this special way.

“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.” 1 Corinthians 12:4-6

Danny Minton, a member of Southern Hills Church of Christ, is a hospital chaplain