When we use our gifts, we usually expect to be rewarded or thanked because we used our gift. Often, or gifts are used to help others and/or to solve a problem, which is exactly what we should use our gifts for.
But what if you used your gift so far in the background that it was never noticed? Would you continue to use your gift if you knew they would never be recognized? What if your gift was doing good but no one ever gave you praise or recognized that your gift was being applied and used? Would you continue to benefit others with your gift?
My hope is that your answer is yes, my hope is that the gifts that you have that go unnoticed are being used just as much as the gifts that go noticed by the people around you.
What if there was a bridge, and it was your job at 3:00-4:00 PM everyday to hold the bridge up. If you didn’t hold the bridge up, the bridge would collapse and the people walking across would be injured or even die. You would stand under the bridge every single day and the people walking across would have no idea that you were under there literally holding the foundation under their feet up, you would never be noticed. How many days, weeks, or years would you do this if you were never noticed? Maybe you would think about letting the bridge fall one day, so people would recognize that without you, the bridge would collapse. Then the people would be grateful for what you did, and holding the bridge up would be worth it.
Why do we think this way? Why do we think that our gifts need to be noticed by the people around us for them to be worth using? Because we want to be recognized and rewarded for using our gifts. It’s interesting that so many of us have this point of view when scripture blatantly states that we should do the opposite. As I discussed this topic with some friends of mine, my friend Sierra told me to read Mathew 6:1-18. This passage stresses how important it is to pray, and serve in secret. It goes on to say this… “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets as the hypocrites do in the synagogue and on the streets to honored by men. I tell you the truth they have received their reward in full”. Then, verse 4 states “so that your giving may be in secret. Then your father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you”.
With this, I think that we should recognize that our gift is our ultimate reward. We should continue to use our gift even if nobody notices, because ultimately Jesus will reward us for that by continuing to give us the ability to use our gifts to benefit ourselves and the people around us.
Our Gift is Our Gift
