Wednesday, July 21, 2021

Same Difference

I am teaching a disc golf class this summer for area kids. One of the first things I teach them is a good life lesson for all of us.

Discs come in different colors, shapes and sizes. They all are basically the same. It's just that some of them do things a little differently.

The key to playing disc golf successfully is to know how each of your discs fly and when to use them.

You can see this lesson play out in us humans. It might be at work or at school. Maybe it's in line at the grocery store or at a restaurant. Or maybe it's just the way we live our lives, interacting with others.

We come in different colors, Each of us acts differently in certain situations. We come with different backgrounds and a variety of experiences. We also have different gifts and talents. How we use those gifts is really what defines us as humans.

Do we use our gifts for God's glory or for our own personal gain?

One of the joys I get from teaching kids disc golf is to watch their eyes light up when they learn something new. They always had a certain ability within themselves and when they discover they can actually DO something they didn't think they could, well, that's the joy of teaching.

I think that's one of the joys of becoming a Christian. We carry all of this baggage around with us. Maybe it's something we did in the past that we're not proud of. Perhaps it's an addiction to something or some deep, dark secret we carry around with us.

Jesus is that discovery! He gives us the ability to think and to reason. God gives us gifts and skills that allow us to earn a living or to play a game. But it is the discovery of Jesus that really makes us excel.

Soon after discovering Christ we find ourselves playing a different game. Life no longer is about US - our money, jobs or social status. Our lives become changed. WE use our gifts for God's glory, not our own. Life is not about OUR success, but about the love of others and helping THEM succeed.

We are all different but we are made by the same Creator. We all have different skills and gifts. But whatever we do we should use them to glorify God.

"Why is my freedom being judged by another’s conscience? 30If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for?

31So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God - 33even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved." - 1 Corinthians 10:29-33

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