Romans 12:6-8 6 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; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
We so often get pigeonholed into doing what we do. We find our place, and that is where we stay. We do one job and that is what we become know for in life. We are the “____man/woman” and you fill in the blank.
When I was in college I was the window man, I fixed the windows on the WWII era Army hospital that had become our college campus. These single pain wooden sash windows needed repairs. My job was to fix them, even if it mean creating new parts without many tools. So that is what I did.
I had also been the pots and pans man, and later the language man as I worked to learn Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic. Then I became the handyman, the door to door salesman, the music man, the electrician’s helper, the hospital chaplain and the Army Chaplain. Then I became the Marriage and Family Therapist man.
You could probably recount the pigeonholes you have filled over your years. (I forgot to mention husband and father in my list. Oops!)
The term pigeonhole comes from the days when messages could be sent short distances by carrier pigeons. These were pigeons who were trained to travel between two locations using food and protection as the enticement. They too liked to return to their own bed at night. They can travel up to about 1000 miles in a trip, making them ideal for flying messages across enemy lines during previous wars.
Each pigeon had its own place, its own hole and nest to which they could return, thus the term pigeonhole. But we don’t like getting pigeonholed, usually. We like to be able to change and move, expressing our own individuality by dressing and acting like everyone else from our generation who is expressing their individuality. Thus bellbottoms became fashionable! Yikes!
Paul tells us that there are innumerable ministries in the Kingdom. Our text and the rest of the chapter gives us examples of the great variety of ministries that can be exercised in the Church. So why have we narrowed down the list to Lead Pastor, Associate Pastor, Youth/Children’s Pastor, and Worship Pastor? These all fit into the pigeonhole of “Pastor”, don’t they?
Take a look at just one of these ministries that Paul says are essential in the Body. They are a manifestation of God’s grace toward His people. They are each God showing up and using our hands and feet to do His work.
Encouragement is in this list. That doesn’t sound like much of a ministry, does it. I can see the Pastor on Sunday mornings ‘ministering’, but just what would encouragement look like as a ministry?
Have you ever met someone who always has a kind word, an appropriate hug and listening ear, a sincere handshake? You have probably met an encourager. Some counselors are encouragers, but don’t limit it to those who have gotten an extra degree and training. Anyone can be an encourager.
Kindness can be a great encouragement to someone who is down and out. It could be a glass of water at the appropriate moment when someone is working hard in the heat. It can be a friendly voice on the other end of a phone when they are facing a struggle.
Encouragement is taking some of the courage you have and helping to infuse that courage into another person at the appropriate moment in an acceptable way. It is using your breath to fill their balloon.
And this is just one of the graces the LORD wants to pass along. Take a few moments and look at the second half of this chapter and find yourself in this list, both on the giving side and on the receiving side. What will you pass along and what will you be ready to receive?
The Arnold Journey 