“THERE IS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE TO DO”

BIBLE READING: Acts 6

                Have you ever neglected to do something?  It isn’t that you forgot it, you knew it needed to be done, yet you failed in doing it.  Why would we knowingly not do something that we knew needed to be done?  There are a host of reasons, maybe we just ran out of time and couldn’t do it.  It is also possible that we neglected it because it wasn’t very high on our priority list and our priority list was very long.  It could also be that you just had something else that was much more important and pressing that needed to be done.  In ministry, this happens a lot. Let me explain; I know that I need to change the church marque.  However, day after day I neglect to do it because I have other matters that are more important.  If I must choose between visiting a church member before surgery or changing the sign, the sign must wait.  If I must choose between taking care of a sick child or changing the sign, the sign will have to wait.  If I must choose between preaching my lesson on Sunday morning for worship or changing the sign, the sign will have to wait every time.   In Acts 6, the disciples have neglected something that was very important.  The Greek speaking widows were being overlooked in getting fed, although the disciple knew this had to be done; they were very busy in preaching the Gospel to the world.  It wasn’t that they saw the widows’ needs as trivial things, it was just their jobs of preaching and teaching just took precedent.  There were hundreds of other people that could fix food for these widows, but there were only a select few who had been inspired by the Holy Spirit to preach.  They selected seven men to help them make sure that nothing was being neglected or overlooked. The point I want to make is this, when we neglect things that need to be done, it may just be that we are preoccupied with more pressing matters.  His church is made up of many people, who all come from differing backgrounds, differing situations and having differing gifts.  It doesn’t matter how much we may have to do, we will always have things to do.  Therefore, God can use someone else to prepare meals for the widows, and someone else to preach His Gospel and yes someone else to change the church sign. It is only when we all use our gifts and abilities for His purpose that we can reach our fullest potential.   What is important, is that we all do something!