On Display

Chinaware never impressed me, but the beautiful stoneware I bought did. The dishes stayed on display in a glass-doored cabinet for over forty years, coming out only for special occasions once or twice a year. But their usage ended when my girls pleaded with me to use paper goods instead. The cabinet’s contents were valuable but not used.

We had to cull many belongings when we downsized to our current home. My array of dishes for daily and special occasions was an issue that I needed to address. I opted to keep my “china.” Instead of being on display, we enjoy the stoneware’s beauty and intended usefulness daily.

God’s children are His prized possessions. He made us in His image, entrusted us with spiritual gifts, and endowed us with talents for His purposes. But He will not pull you from a cabinet and make you accomplish them. You choose whether your giftedness and talents stay on display unused, protected from life’s nicks and cracks that may happen. Or you can trust and bend to God’s authority, walking in the good works He prepared for you (Eph 2:10), fulfilling and displaying your intended usefulness.

We can’t fulfill our calling in our wisdom and strength; the good news is that God doesn’t expect that of us. Paul wrote to the saints in Philippi, convinced that God would complete the work He started in them. The same good word is for us saints today: “He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” Philippians 1:6b.