After months of self-quarantine and social distancing, we’re ready for a change. Online church is surely better than no church, and a Zoom meeting beats no meeting at all, but both are stark reminders that this is all wrong.
At the same time, as we make do with what we’ve got, it may also be dawning on us that our pre-pandemic life could have been, and should have been, better. When things get back to normal, many, I think, are hoping that somehow, someway, our lives will be deeper, richer, fuller — that the next normal will be more satisfying than the last one.
So, in the weeks following our Easter in exile, let’s think hard about the fact that Christ came so that we, His sheep, “may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). That’s what we want, the inexpressible thing we long for. After being cooped up at home, after watching New York’s heartrending story unfold, after daily, dire warnings from Drs. Fauci and Birx, we want everyone, in all the hotspots around the world, to wring from this life every drop of goodness it has to offer.
Even before the global pandemic, too many gifts remained hidden, too many of us were content to leave them there, and our lives were poorer for it.
Easter’s empty tomb proclaims that we should have it. With the resurrection of Christ, the new creation has begun, and we are meant to live life to the fullest.
But how? What might make the next normal different … and better?
If there’s anything this strange time has taught us, it’s that we need one another. By God’s design, none of us is self-sufficient; for me to be fully me — to live my life abundantly — I need others. You do, too.
Gifts and God’s Design for the Church
We see the beauty of this in how God designed the church. Look at 1 Peter 4:10-11: “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies — in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.” In 1 Corinthians 12:7, Paul makes sure we know, “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”
Churches that are alive and life-giving are galvanized by the Spirit-given gifts of their members. They thrive because members believe their gifts are required for the health of the whole, that should they fail to share them, the body — the entire membership — suffers the loss.
Think about it like this: If you have the gift of teaching, it’s because God has hand-picked particular students — or soon will — and placed them in your midst. If you have the gift of discernment, you can be sure you’ve got friends and fellow church members who need help seeing things more clearly. If you possess the gift of hospitality, it is surely because God intends for you to extend it to particular strangers He wants to see welcomed.
Our Gifts Must Be Given Away
By God’s design then, it is impossible to live the abundant life until we’ve identified the gifts He’s given us, and passed them on to others. The reality is that in God’s economy, our gifts don’t actually become gifts until we give them away. Before that, they’re just boxes — like those stashed in a closet on Christmas Eve — unopened, unused, and therefore unimportant.
If, by God’s common grace, you can coach baseball, I suspect there’s a bunch of kids somewhere who’ve got a bag of bats and balls and could use your help.
Even before the global pandemic, too many gifts remained hidden, too many of us were content to leave them there, and our lives were poorer for it. In the post-pandemic normal, let’s make it a point — an obligation, even — to fully employ our gifts, skills, and abilities to make others’ lives more rewarding.
And let’s remember that the church, ideally, is a glimpse of the kingdom to come. If this is the way our congregations work best, it’s the way our cities and neighborhoods work best, too. So let’s take these principles there.
If, by God’s common grace, you can coach baseball, I suspect there’s a bunch of kids hanging out at a field somewhere who’ve got a bag of bats and balls and could use your help. If you can write, it’s because God has readers waiting. If you’re a visionary, it’s a good bet you’ve got friends and neighbors, maybe some you haven’t met, who could use some direction. If you can cook, organize, design, or decorate — these are your paths to the abundant life, using your unique skills to enrich your neighborhood, newcomers group, book club, friends of the library, and fellow volunteers.
We’re surrounded by gifts and talents. Let’s give and receive them with relish. Let’s combine and recombine them as needed, forever expanding the power that God has given.
This is how, in part, all grace abounds to us, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, we — our churches, families, and cities — may abound in every good work.
We like to hear what you think about this. Please submit a letter to the editor, or write to letters@byfaithonline.wpengine.com.