1 Peter 4:10 NIV – Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.
I once came upon a coworker who had mounted a steel box in which a large battery would be placed as backup power for a railroad radio base station. As I approached I saw that he was moving a torpedo level (a bubble level around 10 inches long) around inside the box. When asked what he was attempting to accomplish he replied that he was looking for the low spot in the bottom of the steel box where he could drill a drain hole for any water that might be spilled while servicing the battery.
I had been drinking from a bottle of water, which was still in my hand. I poured about a quarter of the bottle’s contents into the steel box and we watched as the water collected in a single point within the box. The water quickly found the low spot that my coworker was searching for. Pouring water into the box was the result of having listened to an uncle once tell of a similar project and having used water to determine a low spot. My coworker, not having heard my uncle’s story, was doing the best he could with what he believed was the proper tool for the task.
Knowledge, mental and physical abilities, discernment and wisdom are some of God’s gifts given through the Holy Spirit. Whatever the task set before us we can accomplish if those with the needed gift become involved. As followers of Christ we are called to utilize our gifts in service to others. It is by bringing all that we possess in knowledge and in spirit before the Lord that we can serve him to the best of our abilities.