When I read 1st Corinthians 14:26, which says, “What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up” I feel encouraged except for the fact that I don’t think my singing voice would offer very much to the church. This verse brings out my heart for the student ministry as I not only want as many students as possible to gather for the Lord, but I believe in every single student. I wish I could sit down with every student from Danforth and Wimberly High School and share this verse with them not to join a choir but to understand that they are incredibly valuable.
Growing up, I wanted to just be a sponge and not a faucet. I wanted to sit in the service thinking my time was best spent always listening to sermons; however, I learned not expressing my gifts in the church led me to have that exact type of faith. I had a faith where my devotion to God depended on how beneficial I felt He was to me. If others knew I tithed, if helping someone across seas looked good to others, if I felt good after setting up or cleaning up the church then I would do it. In college, that conviction changed when I thought of how Jesus knew he was going to die the next day. If I knew I had one day left to live I would try to consume as much fun, love, joy, and comfort as I could. Jesus, knowing death was around the corner, chose a somewhat different approach. He grabbed an old wooden bucket and a dirty rag, he knelt down, unstrapped his disciple’s smelly, dirty feet, and washed them.
The moment I started joyfully serving as a leader, to help clean up, to help in any way needed with a healthy balance of still being poured into, I was able to see God’s children create a symphony of love to all people from all backgrounds that walked through those church doors, I encourage you to do the same and experience that beauty!