Do It
Gladly
By Brita Crouse
“God has given each
of us the ability to do certain things well. So if God has given you the
ability to prophesy, speak out when you have faith that God is speaking through
you. If your gift is that of serving others, serve them well. If you are a
teacher, do a good job of teaching. If your gift is to encourage others, do it!
If you have money, share it generously. If God has given you leadership
ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing
kindness to others, do it gladly.”
Romans
12:6-8 (NLT)
Nervously,
I sat staring at the blank email open on my computer screen. The empty page was
waiting for me to fill it with words, but I began to second-guess myself that I
was doing the right thing. My fingers began to type, but my mind began to race
with thoughts discouraging me from sending this email.
I
was writing a classmate to share exciting news: some research we found was able
to help students at another university become better informed on a certain
psychological diagnosis. I was writing to
encourage her. But yet, I couldn’t
shake the thoughts that were telling me this was just going to be another email
added to the dozens we as students receive daily, that what I had to say could
wait, or wasn’t even important enough for her to know.
Maybe
this scenario seems silly, but maybe you have been there before too. You are
presented with the opportunity to encourage and bless someone, but that
opportunity is missed because of thoughts that cause you to doubt. Thoughts
like, Oh, they already know or How will they respond? or What if it makes me seem weird?
In
the verses above, you can see how Paul is urging us to use our God-given
abilities, whether that be teaching, encouraging or showing kindness. Not only
are we told to use these talents, we are also told to “speak out,” “serve…well,”
“do a good job,” “do it,” “share…generously,” “take the responsibility seriously,”
and “do it gladly.”
Reading
through these verses has caused me to take these instructions more seriously.
How could I not?! This school semester I have set out to challenge myself: to
say kind thoughts or encouraging words freely. Why keep them to myself?
God
has given each of us certain abilities. Let us show His love by using them to
bless others.
I
did end up sending that email. And I ended up doing it gladly!
GOING
DEEPER:
1.
Think of someone you know who could use some encouragement and kindness this
week. Challenge yourself to bless them specifically. Do it gladly!
FURTHER
READING:
Brita is currently
working toward her Master’s in Counseling at the University of Minnesota-Twin
Cities. She has called Oakwood her home church for the past seventeen years.
