Yeezys and God Confidence
“According to the [remarkable] grace of God which was given to me [to prepare me for my task], like a skillful master builder I laid a foundation, and now another is building on it. But each one must be careful how he builds on it…” 1 Corinthians 3:10 AMP. Paul knew who he was in the Lord. He acknowledged that it’s all grace (“According to the remarkable grace of God”), but he also acknowledged that he was gifted by God (“like a skillful master builder I laid a foundation”).
It’s not glorifying to God to pretend that you’re not gifted. If a friend gets you a pair of brand new Yeezy 350 v2’s (for non-shoe folks, they’re the one’s pictured above) as a free gift, and someone comes up and says, “man, those are some really fresh shoes,” it doesn’t glorify and bring joy to the person who gave them to you if you say “ehh, they’re okay,” or to somehow oddly pretend you have no shoes on. Not only is that crazy, it’s borderline disrespectful. However, it brings that friend pleasure and honor when you respond to the compliment with a “thank you,” or, “thank you, a great friend got them for me.”
This analogy holds for God and our giftings by the Holy Spirit. Every Christian is supernaturally and specifically blessed by the Spirit of God to walk in the power of unique giftings. 1 Peter 4:10 says that “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another; as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” So each has received a gift. You have received a gift. It’s not honoring to God to pretend that you aren’t gifted. It’s honoring to God to walk by His Spirit, pay attention to what specific areas you notice yourself excelling at and listening what the Christians around you say that you excel at, and humbly yet boldly accept compliments and give God glory for them.
You are gifted. The Christians around you are gifted. Denying this isn’t humility, it’s blind foolishness that robs the Church of the power Jesus is seeking to work in and through us. So, walk in the God-confidence of who you are, and affirm and point out the strengths of those in your community. This is what makes a powerful, fully alive, beautiful Church. The world is waiting on it; Christ commissioned it; will we be it?
