Brian’s Perspective - Old Blog

A friend of mine, Clyde Slimp, preaches in Conway, Arkansas. We have been friends since we took Hebrew together at Harding Grad a few years ago. Lately, he has wanted to put a blog together–a place to be a repository for his thoughts and sermons that anyone can access. The problem lies in the fact that he is new to doing things like this on the Internet. He asked me to help him and I said sure. So, he calls me from time to time. Some days he calls several times. I know from his conversations that he thinks he is being an imposition to me, but I really don’t mind helping him at all.

I have always been good with computers. After learning my first programming language in sixth grade, I have taught myself at least 7 others. I can work just about any application including some high end applications (i.e., expensive) that I used at Lockheed. I am even good with the hardware side of things. I can usually figure out what is wrong and point someone in the right direction. I have even fixed computers that other “professionals” said could not be fixed.

Now I bet you are wondering what all of this has to do with anything related to Christianity. Why is this stuff about computers in here at all? Just hold on and I promise we will get there, and I promise I am not just tooting my own horn. Promise.

Sometimes having an ability can be a pain. There are people who will use you–they want get free help instead of hiring someone to fix their problem. Others are just like Clyde and don’t have the expertise to do something with their computer and they honestly need help. I have found that the honest people far outnumber the dishonest ones. What this means is that there are lots of people out their who really could use my help. For that reason, I have tended to keep my abilities under wraps to keep from having to be inundated with requests for service and help. It never works. I always goof up and show someone how much I do know by accident and then they remember who to call when things get tough.

That used to bother me. But not any more.

God has given every Christian gifts and abilities. You may say that those gifts and abilities come from our parents genetically, through our environment or through our learned life experiences and social interactions. To an extent, this is true. However, when a person becomes a Christian, God endows that individual with gifts that can be used in service to God and others. I am not saying God makes programmers, but I know he has made artisans and craftsman out of people in the past (Ex. 31:1-11) so who knows what he will do now and in the future. Whatever our gifts are, God wants us to use them to help others serve God better. And that includes an ability like being good with computers.

That ability has been used to help others find jobs and learn about Jesus. Even now, Clyde is setting up a blog to add to the Christian conversation in the churches of Christ, a welcome addition that will help the church at large become a better church. I have been able to help other preachers in different places get their computers to work for them. I have helped people in our own church get things fixed so that their computers can be used to prepare lessons and do other kingdom things. Sure I could charge for it. But for right now I don’t want to charge. It has become a way for me to be of service to others, using my gift to make the church better.

You probably don’t share my same gift, although you might. But I bet God has blessed you with a gift or ability in some area. The trick is to discover how to use your talent or gift in God’s service. What you will find is that you can most likely find a way to use your gift in service to other Christians, even to people right here in our congregation. I hope you won’t be like me and hide your talents so that no one will bother you. Use whatever you can to make God’s Kingdom a better place.

“But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. He gave [different people different gifts] for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:7-12)