God Uses Variety to Serve His Purpose.

April 10, 2024

My wife and I had Charlotte Knights season tickets for about five years. The whole experience worked well for us as we both worked in uptown Charlotte and on weeknight games, we walked to the park. I enjoyed getting to the game early and watching all the pre-game activities.

Every person participating in the activities had their role. Players warmed up, coaches worked with individuals on specific needs, security teams monitored the comings and goings of attendees, food vendors prepared their fares and served customers, and the mascot made children and adults feel welcome and provided a little fun.

I especially liked watching the field crews get the field ready for play. The process included dragging the field and gathering any rocks that might affect ball bounces, chalking the baselines and outlining the batter’s boxes, putting out the bases, and as the photo shows—watering the dirt. Watering the dirt around home plate and along the baselines keeps the dust down and ensures the surface where the players run, bat, and field balls will be more consistent. That’s important when you are counting on stability under your feet or true bounces on extremely fast ground balls.

And even on the small group of groundskeepers who watered the dirt, each had his or her role. One operated the valve, several supported the heavy hose, and one managed the spray head. The job couldn’t be done without each person performing their role. And, in a bigger picture, the games couldn’t be held without each person doing their part.

It’s no different for our spiritual lives.

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God has a plan for working out His will for the world and purpose for our lives. We each have different roles we play. Even when we have generally the same role, we may do it differently, or play a small part in that role, like the watering team.

Here’s what Paul tells us about this.

“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons.” (1 Corinthians 12:4-6, NASB)

A variety of gifts, ministries, and effects. All led by the same Spirit, Lord, and God.

I love the application of this verse to our church’s greeting ministry. At our church, this ministry is called Starting Point. Some of the volunteers wave at you with a smile as you drive onto campus. Some greet you as you leave the parking lot and head to the Worship Center. Some hold doors for you as you enter the Worship Center. Some greet newcomers to answer questions or direct them to classes. Some hand you an order of Service for the day.

The team works through a variety of gifts, ministries, and effects, but all led by the same God who works all of these things in each person.

I pray that each person who reads this is able to find their spiritual gift to use in their ministry to its effect—all worked out by the same God.