This September 23 would have been my Dad's 90th birthday. He didn't make it that far, passing away from cancer at the age of 85. I still miss him and some days I wish we could sit down and visit like we used to. Even so, it was a glad passing in a way, since he had a solid trust in God and was looking forward to being relieved of the physical suffering he'd experienced for such a long time.
It's more than this upcoming birthday that has my Dad on my mind today. I've been thinking about God's amazing love and grace, and that made me think of Dad. He was a poster child for that grace.
My grandmother died at an early age, so Dad was on his own by age 15. Education wasn't an option but he was smart and worked hard at everything he ever did. He married early, started a family not long after, and managed to carve out a living through hard work and dependability. He was a good father and a solid provider, and it's hard to find words to describe how much he loved his family.
Dad was not a Christian as a young man. As far as I know any thoughts of God were far from his mind. While he wasn't working or involved in family activity, he liked to have a good time in ways that were somewhat removed from what most of us would think of as a Christian lifestyle. But over the course of 1963, God began to pour out His grace in our family and things dramatically changed. The details are more than what I can include in this blog, but suffice to say the circumstances could only have been orchestrated by God.
It started when my older sister accepted the Lord. Then it was me, and a younger brother, then my Mom got "saved". Over the months while all this was happening it became increasingly obvious that God was doing a work in my Dad's heart as well. In fact he was under the intense conviction of the Holy Spirit. Finally Dad gave in and accepted the love and grace of God in his life. It was a remarkable transformation that could only have happened through the supernatural work of God.
Dad never did anything half way, so from the moment he made the choice to accept Jesus he was all in. Overnight he quit drinking. He quit swearing. He quit partying and fighting. In fact to me it seems the biggest struggles he faced as a new believer were not changes in his own life, but discovering and dealing with the fact that not every Christian is "all in". It bothered him a lot, and in all of his life I don't believe he was ever able to truly overcome the inner turmoil he felt over Christians who, in his eyes at least, compromised their Christian values or were halfhearted in their commitment to God.
He was not a perfect man, but he loved God. For almost half a century he truly served God to the best of his ability. In his middle years, again by God's grace, he overcame more than one life threatening health issue. The fact that he lived a productive life to age 85, with a healthy and active mind right to the end, surprised many including his doctors. Today he lives in the presence of the God he served faithfully on Earth for close to 50 years. My Dad's life stands as a wonderful testimony of what God can do. It is one example of the amazing grace and love of Jesus. I, and so many others are recipients of that grace as well as the Holy Spirit continued to work throughout our family.
What's the point of all of this? Each of us has a story, and as followers of Jesus each of us has a story of the truly amazing love and grace of God in our lives. Unfortunately our sense of awe over what God has done sometimes fades a bit. It's like a precious metal that has been neglected and lost its shine.
Today I'm polishing the silver,so to speak. I'm bringing to mind the wonderful work God did in my family. I'm realizing anew how blessed we are when we are the recipients of God's grace. I'm feeling just a bit overwhelmed just now that God reached down one day and transformed our lives. He called us His children and began to prepare an eternal home for us in His presence.
I need to think about this more. I need to appreciate more what God has done for me. Instead I so often take for granted the incredible love of God and the supernatural work He did in my family, in my life. That's a tragedy.
Sunday September 11th is "Make A Difference" Sunday at The Mission. It's a catchy phrase for a service, isn't it? But is it real?
This Sunday we will be emphasizing the various ministries and opportunities for service at The Mission, and encouraging people to consider whether they should be involved in an area of service. The title of the service implies that by being involved as a volunteer you can make a difference in someone's life. Being that we are a church, the hope is that sometimes that difference will last for eternity. But is it really true? Is it worth it for you to take time away from your other activities to be involved in serving in your church? ABSOLUTELY!
I'm going to give you three reasons.
1. It's God's plan to get things done.
God equips people with gifts, and then expects them to use those gifts. Romans 12 says this. "We have different gifts according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith. If it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach."
The Bible is clear. We all have certain abilities that God has given us. Of course each of us is different and we have different abilities. If everyone steps up and uses the gifts God has given, everything gets done. Not only that, it gets done in the most effective way possible and no one is stressed out. Have you noticed that people don't usually get stressed out when they are doing the things they are good at and comfortable with? There are some things I can do well. They come easily to me and I don't worry about them at all. On the other hand, there are things that are second nature to other people that cause me all kinds of worry and stress. I feel totally unequipped for those things. When a willing person has to step up to fill a gap left by someone else, doing their best in an area where they're not gifted, stress happens. And of course the job doesn't get done as well.
God's plan is for all of us to do our part. If that actually happened in any church, that would be an amazing church with amazing things happening!
2. God rewards faithful service.
Look at this verse from Hebrews 6:10. "God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them." Did you notice in this verse that by helping (getting involved) we are showing our love for God? And the verse makes it clear that God will not forget this loving service.
This is just one of many ways that serving others is not just good for them, but for us. When we are involved in using our gifts for God we grow and experience rewards in so many ways. It's a win-win-win situation.
3. You truly can make a difference!
Some jobs don't seem at first glance to be all that significant. We think anyone can do them. Or we think we don't really have any gifts that count. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.
Here's an example. You are working in the nursery, caring for babies and changing diapers. You are far from the service, and far from most people's attention. While taking care of babies may be gratifying for some people, it may seem like it doesn't have much value from a spiritual point of view. Consider this. A parent of a baby will not attend The Mission, or any church for that matter, if they are not confident their child is safe and well cared for. Not only will they stay home and miss everything that church has to offer, but they will not have the opportunity to use their gifts in the worship team, or teaching Mission Kids, or whatever area of ministry God has called them to. The nursery worker has an eternal impact on the parents, their families, and anyone else who will benefit from those parent's opportunity to minister.
Here's another example. You are a greeter at the door. So you hold the door and shake hands, right? Big deal. Well, as one who has been a stranger in many many churches, I can speak first hand about the importance of someone who makes people feel truly welcome and comfortable. The greeter / usher is probably the first person a visitor will see. They will form lasting impressions about the church based on that first experience. Were they made to feel truly welcome? Did someone help them know what to do? (where do the kids go? where do they hang their coat? where are the washrooms?) Even regulars feel good about their church when they receive a warm greeting.
Every job in the church has value in God's kingdom. Every task, no matter how insignificant in our eyes, has a rippling effect that impacts lives, often for eternity.
So can you really make a difference? If you are willing to use the abilities God has given you, finding an area of service that fits your gifts and personality, you will truly make a difference. It will make a difference in your life, and in the lives of others.
