Clay in the Hands

I saw a headline this morning in a Christian leadership magazine.  It said, “People Are Resources.”

I understand the intent of the article.  Each and every person has been gifted by God with skills, and talents and passions that God intends for service in Kingdom work.  As a minister, a large part of my job is to help people realize their God-given gifts and then equip and empower them to use those gifts to honor God and fulfill their purpose in life.  It is easy to allow this part of my job to be twisted into something different.  Sometimes, when the pressure is on, it is tempting to see people as resources for allocation to fulfill needs in the church that I am responsible for filling.

But I think we all do that – don’t you?  How many times have you needed something done either at work, or at school or at home and you set out to find the person you could enlist to carry out what you need done?  I am not saying there is anything inherently wrong with this idea – that is how things get done.

But what I am saying is that if we ever allow people to be seen only as resources and for what they can do for us, then we have missed the bigger picture all together.  People are God’s creation and meant for relationships.

Take some time today to focus on your relationships.  That is what God really intends.