Remember who you are, what you bring

I thoroughly enjoyed the Bishop’s Convocation in Kerrville earlier this month. The speakers, dynamic and engaging, supported and affirmed the transformational emphasis that this district has undertaken. I especially resonated with the speaker who proclaimed: “Remember who you are! Remember what you bring!”
Remember who you are. You are a child of God.
The God who is your parent is a loving life coach who continues to walk with you and work for you even in those times when you do not walk with or work for God. And you are a child. You live not often like a helpless baby; rather you live more often like a growing teenager, eager for adventure that challenges your best abilities but stubborn about wanting to undertake the adventure your own way.
Take in God’s parental love with affection as you give God praise. Take on God’s parental love with maturity as you live the adventure of leading others in Jesus’ name.
Remember what you bring.
You bring your own self, dedicated to God. You live out of a particular personality with specific knowledge, experience and discipleship. Someone in your circle of influence finds you to be God’s special gift to his or her spiritual and emotional life. Trust the spirit’s movement in you and live confidently before all, in your own unique manner, a self-giving life following Jesus. And when you mess up, remember it’s God (and God’s grace, God’s care, God’s power) that you live to reveal—and to receive. It’s not yourself (your own grace, your own care, your own power) that is the world’s savior.
But you are important. If God is the ancient spring from which life bubbles up, you are the tour guide who directs people to drink at the spring. How would they find it without you?
Remember who you are: a child of God.
Remember what you bring: your own self dedicated to God.