Head of the heads gifts of the Spirit

[Neighbor]

Hi, Head of the heads? Gifts of the Spirit?

Please allow me to explain;

All are not pastors, all are not teachers, but all that are called to turn about and all that do are the saints in Christ Jesus. As saints there are gifts to receive, gifts from and of the Holy Spirit!

Each person may have their talent for which they work hard to develop, but also each has their gift, which they make use of and increase or should anyway.

Mine is not the gift of pastor, nor is my responsibility. Mine is not teacher  with it's responsibility. Mine is helps! Oh boy, the gift of helps. It is the perfect gift that is the quick humbler of the proud.

My skill set includes  some wisdom in construction as well as middle management in development and even planning and starting project ideas bringing them from conception through fruition. BUT I am not a teacher, not at all! I am a sinner saved by grace, a student of God's will for me, learning by hard toil at it, slowly but learning none the less.

God has used this odd blend of talent along with the gift of the Holy Spirit  a few times to have me go push on a rope. Speak to deacons, to elders,  and then to do their bidding. To learn authority in others, and to learn humility for myself to the extreme.

When led to a church by the Holy Spirit and upon finding the pastorship and the teaching to be outstanding and useful, I also was pointed to the sad condition of the 17 toilets and the terribly worn condition of all the facilities. And so I was led to "push on the rope" to get monies released to replace "stuff" and to toil at joining with others to rebuild restrooms as a start. Oh Boy, restrooms! And they became fine restrooms with the joint effort by many.

Then they needed maintaining, ah okay, I'll be the one to maintain them and also hire the janitors and train them, and when budgets get tight really tight, well okay I will be a janitor too. How many toilets? Oh boy- This gift of the Holy Spirit started with the turning me about to see Jesus as Lord and then  to see need in a couple of churches and then to do what?  Okay, clean the toilets it is.

And why do I share this? Because I want all to know that there is in my view as much value to the sharing of the gospel found in the humble work of the janitor as there is in the greater  and higher station  of being pastor. Plus, I have learned as much about God through his having me clean toilets as He has having me sit on my fanny to  listen to another,  all excellent pastor/teachers,  teaching me well the word that He ( God ) wants me to live.

So when you read any post from neighbor, remember that is the church's janitor* ( Or was).  If you have enjoyed anything at all of what I may write, consider the source, and also please consider that there are janitors everywhere at all churches as well as saints doing all sort of tasks, all to the glory of God.

* Actually one of my  careers   was as a "facilities director" covering the needs of some 10 acres of school and church  physical needs for all facilities use and planning. But; when it got right down to it, and it did, I had to learn how to be a good janitor too. I found it to be a hard task at  public facilities, one that  requires training and various certificates  attesting to training. Found myself dealing with everything from asbestos, pesticides, to kitchen and restaurant management, plus  health and safety issues of numerous kinds including all hazards training which  includes how to plan for the bad guys coming and trying to create terror attacks. And  I was always to be in the mode of "helps" so that  teachers can teach and pastors can pastor and deacons can deac. Of all the tasks God has put me to, I think I have enjoyed the fun thing  of pushing on a rope - in the attempts to see if I can make the other end move along toward a goal by helping others in their ministry.

 

 

All to say  that I have learned: If God hands you the end of a rope you may be asked to push on it not pull on it.  You may be led to embrace authority of others and encourage  and support them in their assignment from God, not change their assignments.