Several years ago I heard a speaker whose words I will never forget. “It’s all about me,” she started, “and it’s not about me at all.” Her point was that she had been created with a unique set of gifts unlike anyone else on the planet (just like each of us). She felt a responsibility to use the gifts God gave her to do Gods’ work. She thought it would be irresponsible not to share her gifts with the world. (“It’s all about me.”) At the same time, the work was God’s, not hers. (“It’s not about me at all.”) This has had a lasting impression on me ever since. At the time I was trying to figure out what God wanted me to do with my life. When I considered my gifts in light of God’s role in creating me this way, I realized I had to use those gifts to do God’s work. Not to use them, even out of fear, would be missing a huge opportunity. It wasn’t long after that I decided to leave a full-time paying job to write and publish independently. It was terribly frightening to jump off the cliff not knowing what was below. But this is what God created me to do, and it has been a blessing (ups, down, failures, successes, fear and courage) ever since.
Paul was quite clear that Titus and the brothers that accompanied him on his journeys were uniquely qualified to do the work God had set out before them. Titus and his companions brought eagerness, a gift for proclamation, a desire to travel, and confidence. All these gifts made Titus just the right person for the mission. What gifts do you bring, and how might you use them to do God’s work?
2 Corinthians 8:16-24
But thanks be to God who put in the heart of Titus the same eagerness for you that I myself have. For he not only accepted our appeal, but since he is more eager than ever, he is going to you of his own accord. With him we are sending the brother who is famous among all the churches for his proclaiming the good news; and not only that, but he has also been appointed by the churches to travel with us while we are administering this generous undertaking for the glory of the Lord himself and to show our goodwill. We intend that no one should blame us about this generous gift that we are administering, for we intend to do what is right not only in the Lord’s sight but also in the sight of others. And with them we are sending our brother whom we have often tested and found eager in many matters, but who is now more eager than ever because of his great confidence in you. As for Titus, he is my partner and co-worker in your service; as for our brothers, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ. Therefore openly before the churches, show them the proof of your love and of our reason for boasting about you.