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Changing Direction

FINDING PURPOSE AND PASSION IN LIFE

Changing Direction

April 20, 2008

Text: 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

1 Cor 12:1-11

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans, you were enticed and led astray to idols that could not speak. 3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says "Let Jesus be cursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except by the Holy Spirit.

4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.

NRSV

Before being appointed here in 1999, I had spent over fourteen years as campus minister at Mizzou.

I had been appointed when I was thirty, just about Pastor Mark’s age. I had energy and enthusiasm, and felt very fulfilled in that ministry.

But then, toward the end there, I started noticing a strange phenomenon. The students were getting younger! And instead of them easily relating to me as they once had, I noticed that they started relating to me more like they would a parent. That was amazing, since obviously I was still very cool and with it.

You know what? Driving to the office every day wasn’t quite as fun as it used to be. It started becoming business as usual. And I grew restless.

Have you ever felt that way? Maybe you’d been in a job for a period of time, and the passion waned, and you didn’t have the strength to deal with the inevitable problems that arise? Maybe you felt simply bored, that you’ve accomplished something that was exciting as you were striving for it, but now that you accomplished it, well the energy’s not there.

Maybe you’ve felt that way in a hobby—something you really invested yourself in, but then it grew cool. Maybe you had a “mid life crisis”, whatever that is, and started wondering what you’ll be doing with the rest of your life.

Work, hobby, wherever—have you ever felt restless?

So, there I was in Columbia, feeling older, and not too excited.

In campus ministry, my Sunday morning routine was leading a Bible study for the students, then Barbara and I would go to 11:00 worship. One Sunday, after church, we were having lunch. Barbara grew quiet and serious, and said, “God spoke to me today. I think God is calling you back to being a pastor in a church.”

That interrupted my cheeseburger.

I said, “Honey, you do know that if I were to say that to the bishop, we could be sent anywhere—from Haiti to Blue Eye.”

“Yes, I know,” she said. “But I believe there’s a church family out there waiting for us.”

A few months later, that church family happened to be Concord Trinity. How happy I am that God talks to my wife!

This memory came to mind as I read today’s Scripture.

It’s a famous passage, about how God gives different people different spiritual gifts in the church—the gifts of faith, of wisdom, of speaking—that sort of thing.

But you know, for all the years I’ve known this passage, I think I’ve mis-read it.

I’ve always focused on what those gifts are, and what we ought to do with them. You know—“God gives you a gift—use it.”

But actually, that’s not what the emphasis is. Here’s the key verse in that passage:

All these are ACTIVATED by one and the same Spirit, who ALLOTS to each one individually just as the Spirit CHOOSES.

Who says you’ve just been given ONE gift? Don’t sell yourself short! The Spirit “allots” a variety of gifts and talents to you. God has gifted you in many ways. And at any time, God will “activate” one of those gifts in you. God will use one of your gifts as God “chooses:” according to God’s plans, not yours; according to God’s timetable, not yours.

I love Paul’s image of the Spirit “activating” God’s gift in you. It reminds me of software that you download into your computer, and you receive a “code” to type in to activate it, to unleash all the software’s capabilities. It’s like God has imprinted a variety of software programs onto your soul. At the right time, God types in an “activation” code, and unleashes new capabilities and functions within you.

You want to find purpose and passion in life?

BE SENSITIVE TO THOSE TIMES WHEN GOD STARTS TAPPING ON YOUR KEYBOARD!

I want to suggest three things to do that will help increase your sensitivity. Do these three things, and you’ll better recognize when God’s activating a new gift within you.

First thing:

LISTEN TO YOUR HEART!

“What’s left to do now?” you ask.

God replies, “I’ve got something NEW in mind for you!”

When you have those times of “what’s left to do now?”—that’s not bad! Those times may very well be God’s way of saying, “I’VE GOT SOMETHING NEW IN MIND FOR YOU!” Something that will call on new talents within you—something that will stretch and shape you.

John Eyberg thoroughly enjoyed being a Sunday School teacher. In his church in Oklahoma he helped start new classes throughout the years. But then, something started happening within him. He started noticing that it became more and more a drudgery to teach. When he decided to retire from his job, he decided to retire from teaching in his church as well. He found that to be a relief—but maybe felt a little guilty as well.

However, he discovered new excitement in his faith and service when he did follow what his heart was feeling. These are his words:

I discovered other opportunities for service that I could not have taken had I continued teaching. I know that my response to God's call is a commitment to a lifetime of obedience, but I have found many calls to serve within God's larger call. These may be given or withdrawn at any time, as God determines. I am grateful to have learned the lesson of letting go of a role and a task when it is time but still holding on to a lifetime relationship with Christ, God's supreme gift.

When you feel, “What’s left to do now?” listen to your heart. God may very well be nudging you to discover “new opportunities for service.”

Here’s the second thing to do, if you want to discover what new gift—what new software—God may be activating within you:

FOLLOW YOUR EYES!

If I’m bored, do I need to change what I’m doing, or how I’m doing it?

I think sometimes we feel the “blah” inside because we’re too near-sighted. We get used to doing the same thing in the same way at the same time on the same day. What if we broadened our vision? What if we looked at what we’re doing and asked, “How can I do this differently?” What if we looked at our daily schedule and asked, “What new thing can I add today that will liven things up?”

I take off these glasses, I see only what’s near my face. I put them on, my vision changes.

You put on your glasses, and get a broader vision. See how the world changes. The world becomes filled with possibilities!

You’ve probably heard of the Impressionist painter Henri Matisse.

He lived a long life, dying when he was almost eighty-five. Toward the end, his health deteriorated, and he was limited in what he could do. He could have also given up. No doubt he felt sad, maybe bored.

But the man had an eye for beauty—he had an eye for creativity. He put down his paint brush…and picked up his scissors. In his last months of life he created a series of brilliant paper cutouts.

As one scholar put it—the difference between people who burn out and those who don’t is this: the desire to always seek new knowledge or techniques. Doing this keeps things lively. Such people always seem to be having fresh starts in situations that could become stale. [Dean Keith Simonton, Journal of Creative Behavior]

Maybe God’s activating a new gift in you by showing you some new way of doing something, calling you to broaden your knowledge or training. Open your eyes. The paint brush might be losing some of its excitement, but think of the things you can now do with scissors.

Paint brush or scissors—you’re still an artist.

Listen to your heart.

Follow your eyes.

And…

SERVE OTHERS.

To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

You want to be happy? You want to find your purpose in life and passionately pursue it?

Then dream about how you can make a difference in the lives of others. God doesn’t tap on your keyboard, unleashing your talents and gifts, just to make you happy. God activates your gifts so you can be a life-changing presence for someone. You make life better for someone else, then happiness is a wonderful side effect.

Albert Schweitzer, the great missionary, put it best.

I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know: The only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.

—Albert Schweitzer.

Have YOU sought and found how to serve?

You cannot find happiness unless you commit yourself to helping others be happy. Isn’t that what we’re about here? This body of believers is about giving to the needy, visiting the sick, comforting the grieving, standing up for the downtrodden. This body of believers is about nurturing the young, guiding the teen, helping the elderly, encouraging the parent, connecting the lonely, saving the lost.

THAT is what we’re about. You want part of that action? You want to see what God’s activating in you?

Then make a commitment.

If you’ve been thinking about joining this church family, DO IT! That nudging you feel is God’s tapping on the keyboard. All sorts of possibilities open up if you dare join a family committed to making life better for others in the name of Christ.

If you are considering a small group opportunity you saw in the bulletin, DO IT!

If you’ve been thinking about a special mission opportunity that’s been tugging on your heart, DO IT!

You don’t need to look outside these walls in order to find purpose and passion in life. The opportunities are right here, right now.

This was brought home to me personally during the last Wednesdays Alive. I led a seven week class on this book, One Size Doesn’t Fit All: Bringing Out the Best in Any Size Church. The focus was on shaping our church’s future, discovering concrete things that will enable us to continue growing.

There were some eye-opening things we discovered, and some actions suggested that you’ll hear more about.

But you know what struck me more than the book stuff? It was the people. Each night we had between 20-25 excited, enthusiastic people. We had folks who have been members of this church over 30 years, and we had some who have been members just a few months. And here we all were, dreaming of God’s future for Concord Trinity.

When we find ourselves in the quiet time, God sends us people like the ones I saw in that class. Those people remind us why we’re here—not for ourselves, but for the ones Christ’s called us to serve. They point out new possibilities that God is opening up. They invite new relationships to be formed.

Before you know it, the gas tank has been filled, the tires changed, and we’re heading down the road with new focus and energy and traction.

You want purpose and passion in life? It’s waiting to be unleashed within you. God’s gifts inside your heart are waiting to be “activated.”

And I know just the people who can help.