Use the Skills God Gave to You

TITLE: Just Different
SCRIPTURE: Romans 12:4-11
AUDIO: listen here
THE STORY FOR TODAY:
"A few more days," said Jerry, "and we can watch the best ball game of the year." He picked up the football he had received for Christmas. "The next best thing to playing football," he declared, "is watching the Rose Bowl game."
"Huh!" scoffed his sister Beth. "The best thing about football is that the season's almost over." She picked up her new tennis racquet and some fuzzy balls. "Now this is much better," she declared. "Better than your silly old football."
Mom looked up. "Well, I think my new bowling ball is the best one. It's big and beautiful and heavy! It's going to help me knock down lots of bowling pins."
Dad spoke up. "It's big all right," he agreed, "but if you want to see beauty, you need to take a look at my golf balls." Glancing around at his family, Dad grinned. "Whoever would have thought that buying everybody sports equipment for Christmas would start a family feud?"
"Well, I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree," said Mom with a smile. "Better yet, let's agree that everybody's sport is great. Tennis balls or golf balls, bowling balls or footballs-no one kind is better than the others. They're just all different. Each is designed to do the best job possible for its own sport."
"That's true," said Beth. "You wouldn't knock many bowling pins over with my tennis balls."
"No," agreed Jerry, "and I can just imagine you trying to play tennis with Dad's golf balls while he plays golf with my football."
Beth laughed. "And you trying to play football with Mom's bowling ball," she said. "That would be funniest of all."
"You know," said Dad, "that's the way it is with people, too. We all have talent for something. Some can sing or speak well. Still others do a good job taking care of little children or building homes. Some are good in science or sports or math. But that doesn't make one person better than another. Just like it's unfair to compare a tennis ball and a bowling ball, it's unfair to compare people with each other. God made each one different and gave each one . . ."
"Talents!" chorused the kids together. Dad smiled and nodded.
MEMORY VERSE: Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them. Romans 12:6
HOW ABOUT YOU? Can you think of someone who can do something better than you? Do you think that makes him more special, or valuable, than you are? Wrong! Or do you think you're better than someone else because you can do something he can't? Wrong again! God made each person different and special. Develop the skills He gave you. Recognize that others have different abilities, and don't be envious of them.
THE KEY: Use the skills God gave to you