Enabling Skills

quote-how-far-you-go-in-life-depends-on-your-being-tender-with-the-young-compassionate-with-george-washington-carver-5-3-0325Epiphany
January 12, 2017

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:1-9

I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind— just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you— so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. –1 Corinthians 1:4-6

Paul outlines the gifts of the Spirit in both 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12 and mentions them in other scripture. The one thing that is impressive about the list is that rarely does anyone excel at all of them. Working together in community is a given in God’s plan. The most gifted are the ones who enable the best from those around them. The more inclusive we are in enabling gifts, the better our world becomes.

I did a report on George Washington Carver when I was in grade school. I do not remember if he was assigned to me or if I picked him from a list. I met an African American lady when I was six years old. She was in a summer school class my mother was taking to get her certification to teach in Oklahoma. I had never known an African American before, and I do not remember meeting another before I wrote the report. George Washington Carver was a scientist whose discoveries about farming and crop usage still impact our lives today. I was impressed in the 4th grade with his accomplishments and wondered where we would be today if his gifts were lost, because of the color of his skin. How many gifts are we losing today because we are not enabling all of God’s children to use their gifts because of the color of their skin or gender or sexual orientation or disability?

Prayer: Lord, you called us to be the Body of Christ in the world today. You gifted each of us with skills to use in fulfilling this call. Help us use all our skills particularly those designed to enable the skills of others so that your way becomes the way of the world. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized 
Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council 
of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.