Embracing Diversity in God's Service
Esther 1:7b
…the vessels being diverse one from another…
May God deliver us from cookie-cutter, man-made religion! Many talk about their own unique personalities on an individual level, but then they criticize those who serve God and/or worship Him differently than they do. Excuse me for saying so, but there are simply too many churches trying to do exactly what the church down the road does. As a matter of fact, this creates cliques and camps in different denominational circles, where people are encouraged to find their camp and try to fit in somewhere.
Question: How can we encourage diversity on one hand and discourage it on the other? Some preach to their people, “Be who God called YOU to be!”, and then discourage them from doing anything differently than what has already been done. The truth is, what they end up saying by their disapproval is what they should have been honest in saying to start with. If you do not want someone to allow God to use them in their unique areas of gifting, then you should not encourage them on one day, and then discourage them on the next.
When this happens, what you are really saying is, “Now, God can only use you if you……” Just fill in the blank! Never put God in a box, because the moment you do, He will intentionally step outside of your box, if for no other reason than to prove to you that He can and will use anybody He wants, any way He wants, whenever and wherever He wants!
Oh, how we limit God when we limit His people. Surely you do not really believe that God is going to do all of His work all by Himself? We all know that He is fully capable, but we also know that He has chosen to use the human vessel through which to work. Since that is the case, and since humans are as diverse in personality, experience, background, education, upbringing, gifting, and interests as they are, that means there is no limit to who, where, how, and when God will work.
The most important thing the church can do today is for every believer to offer God their fullest service through the gifts He has blessed them with. No matter how foolish it may seem to some, whatever your gift is, use it for God’s glory and He will bless you abundantly! Don’t try to march to the beat of some dead religious drum; follow the leading of the Spirit of God!
~ Pastor Gary Caudill
…the vessels being diverse one from another…
May God deliver us from cookie-cutter, man-made religion! Many talk about their own unique personalities on an individual level, but then they criticize those who serve God and/or worship Him differently than they do. Excuse me for saying so, but there are simply too many churches trying to do exactly what the church down the road does. As a matter of fact, this creates cliques and camps in different denominational circles, where people are encouraged to find their camp and try to fit in somewhere.
Question: How can we encourage diversity on one hand and discourage it on the other? Some preach to their people, “Be who God called YOU to be!”, and then discourage them from doing anything differently than what has already been done. The truth is, what they end up saying by their disapproval is what they should have been honest in saying to start with. If you do not want someone to allow God to use them in their unique areas of gifting, then you should not encourage them on one day, and then discourage them on the next.
When this happens, what you are really saying is, “Now, God can only use you if you……” Just fill in the blank! Never put God in a box, because the moment you do, He will intentionally step outside of your box, if for no other reason than to prove to you that He can and will use anybody He wants, any way He wants, whenever and wherever He wants!
Oh, how we limit God when we limit His people. Surely you do not really believe that God is going to do all of His work all by Himself? We all know that He is fully capable, but we also know that He has chosen to use the human vessel through which to work. Since that is the case, and since humans are as diverse in personality, experience, background, education, upbringing, gifting, and interests as they are, that means there is no limit to who, where, how, and when God will work.
The most important thing the church can do today is for every believer to offer God their fullest service through the gifts He has blessed them with. No matter how foolish it may seem to some, whatever your gift is, use it for God’s glory and He will bless you abundantly! Don’t try to march to the beat of some dead religious drum; follow the leading of the Spirit of God!
~ Pastor Gary Caudill