Stewarding Other People’s Gifts

Do You See Them?

God’s been challenging me lately to really see others, even to the point of planting me in a Bible Study doing Christine Caine’s course ‘20/20’.

Even when I, myself, felt unseen.

Who are you not seeing?

Let’s use my kids as examples. My eldest son loves to cook. Over three weekends he made burger patties from scratch: blooming onions (my personal favorite), and homemade pasta. My husband, Ben, stays close by, patiently teaching our son even though hubs could do it quicker himself.

Ben went to cooking school. Watching them work on the blooming onion and how my son kept googling random recipes until Ben said, “You have to choose one recipe.”

Can you imagine what a mess that would have been? My son merging random recipes like that? Or the frustration my son would have felt if the end result had flopped because Ben hadn’t caught the issue?

What really gets me is how my son asked us for several days to make that recipe (it was delicious). With every day we said no, he was more and more frustrated and disappointed. Finally, we told him yes, knowing that deep frying battered onion was a decent amount of work. He was so excited and even more excited when it turned out and me, Ben, and our son enjoyed the fruits of his labour. My two younger kids ran at the mention of deep-fried onions, but, hey. More for us!

If Ben had just insisted on doing it himself, our son would have felt discouraged, sad, and useless.

That Feeling of Fulfillment

Have you ever felt that way when a gift you have wasn’t used? Or you had a desire to learn but were discouraged from doing it? How about when you were given that opportunity after all and it felt amazing?

My other son was given an opportunity recently at church to learn ‘tech’ for the kids worship time. So putting up YouTube worship songs and helping run the sound board. He’s ten-years-old. When he came home from training he was so excited, and even more excited that he would get to run the tech that week. The leaders of kid’s church could probably just do this stuff themselves. Letting my son exercise his skills and learning something new has given him confidence and made him feel like he was contributing. And he’s capable!

It reminds me of this verse:

Discouragement Hits

My daughter (almost three) loves to help. Would it be quicker and tidier to make crepes, bread, waffles and cookies before she knows we’re doing it? Yup. But you should have seen her face the other day when I told her I was already done with a task. Her face fell. I have worked to try harder to let her know when I need help, because it fills her cup. That’s her gifting at her young age.

When you ask people to help, don’t assume you’re putting them out. If you’re asking someone who does that task all the time, maybe it’s time to look around and find the person who’s waiting on the sidelines to jump in the game.

I remember when I was seventeen and served on our church’s youth worship team. I loved it so much, but I also feared God in it. So when I was invited to parties that wouldn’t please the Lord … even though I wanted to go and curiosity might have made me do it … I didn’t want to lose the opportunity of singing for Him at church. I didn’t want to grieve Him. I knew going to that worldly gathering would jeopardize the anointing I carried when I got on that platform.

Gifts Are for a Reason

We are meant to use our gifts. Like my daughter, who wants to help, and my sons who are working on building new skills they’ll use their whole lives … and there will come a day when it is their turn to look to the sidelines and see someone God is calling them to mentor and train, maybe helping to fulfill a part of them that’s waiting to be put to use. That’s what stewarding someone else’s gift looks like. Knowing, sure, we could just run the show, but building the team is so much better. Training up and encouraging others is so much better. And there’s room for all of us to work together. The reason for one’s gifts aren’t always obvious right away. But what a wonder to be able to help mentor and steward someone else’s gifts for the kingdom, whatever God’s purpose is in it.

Even if it’s inconvenient sometimes when the flour spills. Even if the recipes get mixed up. Even if…

Stewarding other people’s callings is a seed you plant into someone who will later plant into another. Hoarding the opportunities to serve, hoarding the knowledge and wisdom … what good does that do? No seeds are planted then.

The Nudge … to Encourage

So this is your nudge to find someone to teach someone something. Find someone who needs encouragement. Compliment someone in their skill. Notice when they improve. Better yet, notice when someone wants to learn something from you and make the time to teach that guitar lesson, share the knowledge in canning food (thanks to my friend Kathryn for that!), that gift of hospitality, building something with their hands, etc. When they mess up, give them another chance, and another one—maybe with some extra coaching.

Encouragement (genuine, not flattery) is important in the Kingdom of God. You can’t teach everyone, but surely there is someone in your life God is wanting you to pour into, to provide an opportunity to, and to encourage.

So, who can you encourage today? A friend? A teacher? An author you appreciate? He or she would love a review online about that. Or your pastor? Write and email telling what you appreciated in his or her sermon.

Maybe you’re thinking, “But I don’t want to puff up their ego.”

I’m all for humility. Yet, we all need encouragement and the Bible speaks plainly about that fact. Just make sure your actions match your words. If I tell my son he’s great at cooking but I never give him that opportunity, that’s frustrating for him. But when I encourage him and ask him what he plans to make this weekend, we shop for it and plan for it—that’s going to help him grow as a cook and in his confidence. That’s when my words mean something and our relationship builds.

Someday it’s going to really pay off that we let him explore this growing gift of his. Someday he’ll teach someone else. Or feed his family. In this season, we could do it ourselves. But honestly, he already can make burgers without help at age twelve, and when I’m busy with other household things, that’s a blessing. That independence is a gift to him … and to me.

But It’s Easier if I do it Myself

So that’s great for kids, right? But what about in other areas, for us adults? Why shouldn’t we just do it all on our own, do it the way we like it, do it faster and right?

1. You don’t have to and God doesn’t want us to. We are the body of Christ … many parts, one body. We are meant to work together.
2. You will exhaust yourself.
3. You’re literally robbing other people who have gifts you don’t have … or maybe you have similar gifts. But you’re robbing them and you by not seeing the gift in others.
4. God might be calling you to mentor someone else

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

Years ago, in a job in my twenties, someone told me ‘only delegate what you can’t do’. I don’t agree, at least not always. Read that list above one more time.

So, do you see them? Do you see their gift?

Unity free of jealousy and comparison and fear, is a beautiful thing, and we are called to it. Even more, the closer we get to the return of the Lord. Afterall …

Further reading
Romans 1:11,12; Romans 15:1,2; 1 Corinthians 12:22-26; John 13:34,35 ESV

A Moment of Worship

I’m excited about this song from Elevation Worship. It’s a song recalling where we were before Jesus found us and stepped in. What a humbling and beautiful thought and a perfect note to end this devotional on. I hope you’ll take these seven minutes and lean into the Lord.

A Prayer

Lord, help me to not be too busy or proud to see when you’re wanting to multiply the gifts you’ve blessed me with. Open my eyes to the people you want me to mentor and pour into. I know I can’t mentor everyone, but surely there are ones I can teach, encourage, equip. Especially as the day nears of Your return, help me to prioritize gathering with other believers and exhorting them. How much more the body of Christ can do if we work together, if we use our gifts and multiply our gifts humbly for Your kingdom. Help me to always hold my own gifts loosely in my hands, that they can be used for Your glory and not my own.

In Jesus’ name. Amen.