It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Football season! I can think of no greater way to spend a Thursday evening, Saturday, Sunday afternoon, and/or Monday night, than by watching football. I was not a football fanatic for twenty one years but now I have been bit by the bug and bit hard. During the week I fill my hunger for football by checking espn.com and receiving “tweets” from the Carolina Panthers. These “tweets” inform me of practice and how the team is preparing for Sundays match-up. The majority of the “tweets” deal with the Panthers memorizing plays.
Ballplayers have to memorize a lot of plays. They run their plays over and over until their moves are automatic. The interesting thing is that once Cam Newton calls the play and takes the snap, everyone does something different. Same play, different assignments. The guys on the line block, but each one has a different blocking scheme. Other guys take off from the line and run passing routes-again, each man on his own route. Even the men in the backfield have different moves to make, depending on the play.
This is an analogy for what should happen when a Christian comes across a specific exhortation in Scripture. For example, Matthew 28:19 couldn’t be clearer: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations.” That’s the command. Every believer needs to obey that command. But note: the way in which a believer “makes disciples” will be different, by virtue of how God has designed that believer. Same command, different ways of executing it, or to stick with our football analogy same play, different routes.
When it comes to “making disciples”, some people will do that by teaching, because that’s what they do best. Some will do it by modeling and mentoring. Some have a giftedness for influencing people, so they will focus on proclaiming the gospel in very straightforward, impactful ways. Some will come alongside believers and build relationships and live out the gospel, so that over time they will come to Christ. Some will bring their friends to people who have the ability to explain the gospel much more effectively than they can. Some will participate in teams that go into the world and do specific projects aimed at drawing people to Jesus. Some who have a talent for telling a story will write books in which they relate their own journey’s of faith in ways that are compelling to an unsaved reader.
Each “player” on God’s team has different strengths to be used by God in carrying out His will. You will not see Steve Smith attempting to play offensive line, because that is not where God has gifted Him. The same is true with Christians, many are trying to fill a role God never designed them to fill you must find your spiritual gift and serve God using those gifts He has given you. Here is a link in order to take a spiritual gifts test if you do not know what yours is: http://elmertowns.com/spiritual_gifts_test/.
It is very important that you identify your God-given strengths, as best you can. God has specific “good works” assigned for you to do, and the strengths that He has designed into you will tell you a lot about what your assignment is.
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