Need New Pants.

Lately, I have decided that it’s time to get some new pants. Some of the students at church will laugh if they read this because they pick on me already for tending to favor the same style of pants over and over. But laugh as they may, my reasons are different. I tried carrying around a certain pen for awhile believing that the retractable tip would keep it from leaking. Not so much. I now have at least two pair of jeans with a noticeable bright blue spot on the outside of the pocket. I have another pair of jeans with a rear pocket tearing away, and another with a giant rip above the rear pocket, and still another pair that’s just downright uncomfortable. My non-jeans pants are getting a bit snug in the waist, as I have put on a few pounds in the mid-section.

As I’ve been looking, I have noticed two things: pants/jeans cost more than I want to spend, and there are so many different cuts and styles of pants, it’s hard to find one I like. Maybe it’s because I’m too old to be wearing the pants that sit below my waist and that...uh, “creep” in precarious places. I just find those to be a bit uncomfortable and not my style. However, I’m too young to buy the Dickies jump-suit style coveralls that retired men wear when they volunteer their time at the church. I have three boys at home and I work with teenagers, so it’s seems unreasonable to buy a pair of jeans for $80 that already have holes and tears in them when that will just happen to them anyway. For more than one of the reasons I already mentioned, skinny jeans are obviously out of the question. I just want a reasonably-priced pair of jeans or pants that fit the right way and will last more than two weeks.

So, since I have to wear pants of some kind, as my wife informs me with great conviction, I guess I’m in a tight spot. (You know, because of the...oh, never mind.) I just hold to my belief that somewhere out there are brands of jeans and pants that fit my specific shape and requirements. Until said time, I’ll just do the best with what I have, and continue to look patiently in mens departments everywhere.

Spiritual gifts are a lot like pants. Not all Christians have the same ones, and the ones that do share similar gifts may not feel as comfortable in using those gifts as others. As God works in our lives, it’s possible that we could indulge a bit too much in, say for example, HOSPITALITY, and discover that it has become a bit too snug around our middles. As God sees the needs change, He moves us into a different area of ministry where our gift of PROPHECY is cutting-edge and ahead of the times. Some of us occasionally envy someone else their gift, and while we compliment them in person: “Oh that MERCY looks just great on you!” we are really saying on the inside: “Oh it’s so unfair that I have to wear last year’s TEACHING, which isn’t nearly as glamorous or as popular…”

These spiritual gifts are not like pants in that we don’t just get to go shopping and try on a few we like and pick our favorites. Our “pants” are more like military issue, where we are given what we will need in spite of how we think it looks or feels. God knows from our very beginning who we will be (Psalm 139:13-16), and what Gifts will best suit HIS purposes for our lives. When we open our hearts to Christ, these gifts are given to us freely. They were picked out long before we got them, but they are never out of style. They may not be the ones we would choose for ourselves, but they are certainly the ones that we will need as we move forward with God’s plans for us.

Just like pants are made to be worn, Gifts are given to be used. If you try to go into the world without either, you just don’t quite make the impact you are designed to make--you become a distraction. It’s admirable to want to serve God with gusto and enthusiasm, but the sign of a mature and growing follower of Christ is taking the gifts we’ve been given, and saying, “Okay Lord, point me in YOUR direction, and I’ll go for it!”

If you are a “pants-less” follower of Christ, it just means you haven’t spent time seeking out your gifts. Pray about it. You have gifts, and God wants you to use them. Ask spiritual leaders and those who know you well to pray with you, and maybe offer some observations on what they see in you. Ultimately, it’s between you and God, but trust me, others will know if you are not dressed for the occasion. Once you find these, they will break you in, and get you more comfortable and confident in wearing them daily as you seek to share Christ with this world.