#MorningDevotion Swimming Rabbits and Flying Ducks Once upon a time, the animals decided to do something constructive to tackle the problems they were facing in a new world. They came up with a master plan and so they organized a school. They adopted four activities in their curriculum. Running, climbing, swimming and flying. To make it easier to administer the curriculum, it was agreed that all the animals would take all the subjects. The duck was excellent in swimming, in fact better than his instructor, but he made only passing grades in flying, and was very poor in running. Since he was slow in running, he had to drop swimming and stay after school to practice running. This caused his webbed feet to be badly worn, so that he was only average in swimming. But average was quite acceptable, so nobody worried about that - except the duck. The rabbit started at the top of his class in running, but developed a nervous twitch in his leg muscles because of so much make-up work he had to do in swimming. The squirrel was excellent in climbing, but he encountered constant frustration in flying class because his teacher made him start from the ground up instead of from the treetop down. He developed an ankle injury from over-exertion, and so only got a C in climbing and a D in running. The eagle was a problem child and was severely disciplined for being a non-conformist. In climbing classes he beat all the others to the top of the tree, but insisted on using his own way to get there. At the end because of all the discipline, one of his wings was injured and he could not climb nor fly as excellently as before. At the end of the curriculum, the duck who was a master swimmer ended up being an average swimmer, the rabbit a fast runner could hardly run, the squirrel an excellent climber could hardly climb Romans 12:4-8 (NIV) For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your[a] faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead,[b] do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. The obvious moral of the story is a simple one - each creature has its own set of capabilities in which it will naturally excel, unless it is expected or forced to fill a mould that does not fit. When that happens, frustration, discouragement, and even guilt bring overall mediocrity or complete defeat. A duck is a duck - and only a duck. It is built to swim, not to run or fly and certainly not to climb. A squirrel is a squirrel - and only that. To move it out of its forte, climbing, and then expect it to swim or fly will drive a squirrel mad. Eagles are beautiful creatures in the air but not in a foot race. The rabbit will win every time unless, of course, the eagle gets hungry. God gifts each of us differently. “We have different gifts according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.” Practical Application. Are you working so hard to swim yet your gift is to fly? Take some time and begin to assess the gifts that God has given you so that you can enhance them and not ignore them.
Posted on: Mon, 10 Nov 2014 03:10:09 +0000
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