You? A Stone?

Don’t you hate it when the Preacher takes a passage of Scripture and interprets it in a manner that makes Believers responsible for some action that is really not popular with the majority?

Our supply Preacher did that again yesterday. He is rambling his way through 1st Peter (I think he is finished with it now; hope, hope) and talking about each individual Believer being a chosen, precious stone in the Temple that God is building for His own dwelling. Obviously there are those things we expect to hear – things that demand focus, commitment, purity, even regular Church attendance. But then he may have gone a step too far.

He got to talking about effectively “managing our specific task in the building of the Kingdom.” Here is the verse he used: “Based on the gift each one has received, use it to serve others, as good managers of the varied grace of God.” (I Peter 4:10) He told us that we have to use our Spiritual gift(s) in edifying (building up) one another in a responsible, timely, purposeful manner. Just as a business that is to be successful must be managed properly, so must the grace gifts of God. Well, of course that means that I have to get involved with all the other folks, and in a regular, consistent pattern of behavior.

The way things are going, I am thinking I will be expected to be at the Church every time the family gathers to get my skillful management of the gift He has given me working in the process of building the Kingdom.

God forbid that would be a requirement.