THE WRIGHT STUFF

1 Corinthians 12:4-11
4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. 7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and He gives them to each one, just as He determines.

On September 29, 1909, at 10:18 a.m., a young man took flight in an odd-looking machine that looked like a bird made out of boxes. As he gained altitude, the pilot manipulated the levers to fly over the New York Harbor.

Immigrants on Ellis Island looked up in the sky and spoke excitedly about what they saw. The boats in the harbor celebrated the moment by sounding their steam whistles. Hundreds of people came out of buildings and into the street straining their necks to get their first glance at a heavier-than-air flying machine.

Then with a graceful curve, the plane began to circle around the Statue of Liberty. The crowds exploded with cheers at the sight. The impossible had become possible. With imagination and tireless experimentation, Wilbur and Orville Wright had conquered the air.

While most of us are more familiar with the story of the Wright Brothers' first flight near Kitty Hawk in 1903, few people are aware of the committed Christian home that the brothers grew up in. Their father, Milton Wright, was a Protestant minister, and one of the boys helped their father edit the denominational newsletter. And despite Rev. Milton Wright's major commitment to his own work, he encouraged his boys to pursue their dream--to invent an airplane.

We can learn a lesson from Pastor Wright. In the process of discipling others, we need to resist the tendency to remake them in our own image. Disciple-making is designed to help others follow Jesus in obedience. But each person's giftedness and calling is different (1 Corinthians 12:4-5). Because of this, we should be in prayer for others to find their creative niche within Jesus' divine plan.

Paul wrote, "We have different gifts, according to the grace given us" (Romans 12:6). Let's not expect others to become a copy of ourselves. Instead, we can give them encouragement to take flight with their own God-given gifts. --Dennis Fisher

DESTINATION POINTS

* Am I discipling someone who has different gifts than I have? What are they?
* How can I help my friends develop their gifts?

LINKS:
Developing People

http://www.christianitytoday.com/smallgroups/articles/developingpeople.html

bottom line: Encourage others to let their gifts take wing.

soul journey