10 As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
11 If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Our lives have meaning because we have the presence of God upon us, and He has created us to be unique - no one else is like you, no one else has the same DNA, the same skill set, or the same personality. You are who God created you to be, and He wants to use you for His glory to bring about His purposes. If we abide in Christ, we can discover more about God's call for our lives. We recognize His hand and His heart as we surrender to Him, allowing Him to work according to His plan by His power.
We have been entrusted with purpose and abilities to be used for God's glory. Luke chapter 12
highlights that responsibility to use them:
42 And the Lord said, "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season?
43 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.
44 Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.
Later, Jesus said this:
47 And that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
48 But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.
Last night, a major league pitcher recorded his second consecutive complete-game shutout at home, allowing 3 hits and striking out 13. His record is now 5-1 for the season with a 1.74 ERA. He leads the major leagues with 77 strikeouts. After 250 career starts, the nine-year veteran has a 2.40 ERA over 1,673 innings.
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We have been entrusted with purpose and abilities to be used for God's glory. Luke chapter 12
highlights that responsibility to use them:
42 And the Lord said, "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season?
43 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.
44 Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.
Later, Jesus said this:
47 And that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
48 But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.
Last night, a major league pitcher recorded his second consecutive complete-game shutout at home, allowing 3 hits and striking out 13. His record is now 5-1 for the season with a 1.74 ERA. He leads the major leagues with 77 strikeouts. After 250 career starts, the nine-year veteran has a 2.40 ERA over 1,673 innings.
Those stats, as reported by ESPN.com, belong to Clayton Kershaw, whose Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the reigning National League champion New York Mets, 5-0.
And, while Kershaw has been a force to be reckoned with in Major League Baseball, he recognizes that baseball is a platform through which God can use him. He is founder of a ministry called Kershaw's Challenge, described on its website as "...a Christ-centered, others-focused organization. We exist to encourage people to use whatever God-given passion or talent they have to make a difference and give back to people in need. We want to empower people to use their spheres of influence to positively impact communities and to expand God’s Kingdom. We believe that God can transform at-risk children and neighborhoods through the benevolence and impact of others."
This year, the site says that the organization is partnering with four other organizations to improve the quality of life for people, working with CURE International in the Dominican Republic, Arise Africa in Lusaka, Zambia, the Dream Center in Los Angeles, and Behind Every Door in his hometown of Dallas. According to the website, "Kershaw’s Challenge is about so much more than baseball. It’s about transforming lives. It’s about making a difference exactly where YOU are. For Clayton, it comes back to the game of baseball. It is about using that platform to accomplish something bigger than himself. To remind him of his responsibility to care for others, Clayton makes a donation for every strikeout he makes."
The FCA's Sharing the Victory magazine website relates that Kershaw attended church as a child, and in high school, his general spiritual knowledge matured into a saving faith in Christ. He said, "In high school, everybody called themselves Christians, but FCA brought it to the forefront," adding, “It really helped me grow and showed me that it’s a lifestyle. Jesus is your Savior, and you live for Him. Everything you do is for Him, and athletics are a part of that.”
The article summarizes Kershaw's attitude toward the game with these words from the star pitcher: "It’s for His glory—to make people aware that it’s not something where I was just lucky to be able to throw a baseball." He also said, “He doesn’t want us to hide our talents. He wants us to put them in the spotlight and glorify Him. That’s a pretty cool thing.”
On the Kershaw's Challenge website, Clayton is quoted as saying, "We know that baseball is going to end one of these days, hopefully a long time from now. And hopefully we have some things that continue on long, long after we’re gone."
Plenty to think about from the life of this young pitcher, who is apparently at the top of his game these days. One thought that came to mind involves the pursuit of excellence: are you at the top of your game? Are you doing all that you do to the glory of God, as He gives you strength? He wants us to be at our best, using the talents with which He has gifted us, to bring honor to Him.
There's also an element of approaching life with a view of something bigger. Sure, Clayton is good at baseball, but he realizes that baseball - his craft, his occupation - is not all there is. He is involved in ministry work because he realizes that it's important to care for others, and he does it in a big way.
Someone may be successful in a job and maybe other areas, but we have to make sure that we are maximizing all God has called us to do, and be.
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