Facial Paralysis and Offering Teach

This Sunday I was due to give an offering teach at church.

You know - the bit just before the Church takes up the tithes and offerings. The "collection" - if you are from an Anglican persuasion.

Anyway in some churches this is perhaps the time when you hold on tight to your wallet as someone comes up to the front to "pump up the offering" - expound very persuasively as to why you should part with loadsa money!!!

I need to be careful here because I am digressing slightly and I genuinely do believe in teaching why Christians should give generously in Church and that God liberally blesses cheerful givers.

So back to my story.

I had a passage from the bible which I felt God had laid on my heart and I was getting ready to put on my finishing touches when I came down with facial paralysis on one side of my face. (Bells Palsy)

Bells Palsy is believed to be a viral induced condition causing a swelling of the nerve from the brain to the face leading to loss of control of the expression and movement of that part of the face. Sounds very serious but thankfully it is not and 90% of people make a full recovery after 3 - 6 months.

My kids are typically non "PC" (politically correct) about this. One said I look freaky! The other is amused because I can only smile from one side of my face and I guess to her it makes me look a bit like a pirate.

So what does this have to do with my offering teach? I didn't give the offering teach after all but the passage I was going to share is from Romans 15 in the Message Translation.

Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to those who falter and not just do what is most convenient for us. Strength is for service, not status. Each of us needs to look after the good of the people around us. asking ourselves, "How can I help?"

My offering teach message was going to hone in on ... Strength is for service not status. God has blessed us and given us strength in many areas of our lives.

Physical strength....Financial Strength.....Spiritual Strength....Academic Strength ...etc.

Whatever area of strength God has given us it is for the good of other people around us.

If he has blessed us with financial strength then it is for us to use to bless other people.

Even if it is strength to smile then that strength is not just to make you look good - it is for you to give a smile to someone else. To be an encouragement. To be a blessing.

Strength is for service - not status.