The miracle of feeding the five thousand is one of those miracles I wished I could have been there to see. I just picture an incredible scene…loads of fish and bread coming out of seemingly nowhere. At some point, the disciples had to start asking…where is this all coming from?
Philip is the one to approach Jesus with the little boy’s lunch. He says, “There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?” (John 6:9, NLT)
There is a seed of faith, but there is also a touch of doubt. How realistic, right? We approach God the same way. We say, “Lord, I know you can do this…but will you?”
I especially love Pastor Jason’s question on Sunday: “What’s in your lunch?” He talked about how we are each given gifts to share with the body of Christ. Everyone has something to give.
Paul writes about the gifts in 1 Corinthians 12 where he says, “To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit…
All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.” (1 Corinthians 12:8,11 NIV)
I like the way Paul says that the Spirit “distributes” these gifts. It kind of reminds me of the way these disciples had to distribute the fish and loaves. There is a “passing out” that happens.
I think sometimes it’s easy to look at the giftings of someone else and wonder: Why didn’t I get those gifts? Or…God, why did you make me this way?
I know I’ve had those questions with God, myself. And I honestly spent years of my life not exercising my spiritual gifts! I was on the path of serving myself with the gifts God had given me, and I wasn’t really using them the way that the Spirit intended for me . God had to humble me, as I’m sure you’ve experienced once or twice as well. Yet through that process of humbling, I learned how beautiful and freeing it is to use these gifts for and with God.
It’s a partnership, almost like a dance…where God presents opportunities to use those gifts and He equips you to move through it with grace.
I really enjoyed Pastor Jason pointing out that some in the crowd were instructed to “sit and wait,” while others, like the disciples…were actively serving.
The reality is…it is hard to be the one who sits and waits. I remember going through a season just like that, and God kept saying “slow down”…come be with me for awhile. I even had to stop serving in certain capacities because the weight of those things became too much. I wonder if it was hard for some people in that crowd to sit and not be up serving, moving, actively helping. But on that specific day, their role was to learn from Jesus.
It reminds me of how Mary instinctively knew that it was time to sit at the feet of Jesus. Martha was up serving, but Jesus says, “Mary has chosen the good portion...” (Luke 10:42, ESV)
For those of us who are “doers,” this might be just the word we need to hear. Sometimes, we have to sit awhile at the Savior’s feet. That is the good portion. It is worth being still in His presence.
On the other hand, if we are called to actively serve…we must ask Him for the strength to do so. Anything in our own power will be striving, but working in and with the Spirit is an entirely different thing.
So I have to ask…what’s in your lunch? What gifts do you have to give Jesus? He has placed some beautiful things inside of you. Whatever they might be, I hope you share them with others in our church.
I also hope that you know when He says “be still,” that’s OK too. No matter where He calls you to be, you can trust that His way is always better.
Philip is the one to approach Jesus with the little boy’s lunch. He says, “There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?” (John 6:9, NLT)
There is a seed of faith, but there is also a touch of doubt. How realistic, right? We approach God the same way. We say, “Lord, I know you can do this…but will you?”
I especially love Pastor Jason’s question on Sunday: “What’s in your lunch?” He talked about how we are each given gifts to share with the body of Christ. Everyone has something to give.
Paul writes about the gifts in 1 Corinthians 12 where he says, “To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit…
All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.” (1 Corinthians 12:8,11 NIV)
I like the way Paul says that the Spirit “distributes” these gifts. It kind of reminds me of the way these disciples had to distribute the fish and loaves. There is a “passing out” that happens.
I think sometimes it’s easy to look at the giftings of someone else and wonder: Why didn’t I get those gifts? Or…God, why did you make me this way?
I know I’ve had those questions with God, myself. And I honestly spent years of my life not exercising my spiritual gifts! I was on the path of serving myself with the gifts God had given me, and I wasn’t really using them the way that the Spirit intended for me . God had to humble me, as I’m sure you’ve experienced once or twice as well. Yet through that process of humbling, I learned how beautiful and freeing it is to use these gifts for and with God.
It’s a partnership, almost like a dance…where God presents opportunities to use those gifts and He equips you to move through it with grace.
I really enjoyed Pastor Jason pointing out that some in the crowd were instructed to “sit and wait,” while others, like the disciples…were actively serving.
The reality is…it is hard to be the one who sits and waits. I remember going through a season just like that, and God kept saying “slow down”…come be with me for awhile. I even had to stop serving in certain capacities because the weight of those things became too much. I wonder if it was hard for some people in that crowd to sit and not be up serving, moving, actively helping. But on that specific day, their role was to learn from Jesus.
It reminds me of how Mary instinctively knew that it was time to sit at the feet of Jesus. Martha was up serving, but Jesus says, “Mary has chosen the good portion...” (Luke 10:42, ESV)
For those of us who are “doers,” this might be just the word we need to hear. Sometimes, we have to sit awhile at the Savior’s feet. That is the good portion. It is worth being still in His presence.
On the other hand, if we are called to actively serve…we must ask Him for the strength to do so. Anything in our own power will be striving, but working in and with the Spirit is an entirely different thing.
So I have to ask…what’s in your lunch? What gifts do you have to give Jesus? He has placed some beautiful things inside of you. Whatever they might be, I hope you share them with others in our church.
I also hope that you know when He says “be still,” that’s OK too. No matter where He calls you to be, you can trust that His way is always better.
Erika Pizzo
Erika is an author of various books on the topics of faith, mental health, and victory in Christ. Erika lives with her husband, daughter, son, and their fluffy poodle in sunny Southern California. Her two favorite things are a visit to the beach and a chai latte in hand.