Beekeeping for Jesus
GOD’S WORD: “You know what is good, O man, and what more does the Lord require of you than to act gently, love mercy and walk humbly with your God.” – Micah 6:8
By Glenn Miller
It’s been almost nine years ago when I made my first mission trip to Malawi, where a group from my church joined other church groups in ministering to a group of tribal villages within the poorest region of Malawi. I remember before leaving thinking that a mission trip would entail me sitting down with these villagers and sharing the Gospel with them in a teaching-type environment. But what I found was something entirely different; that the love of Jesus and His precious promises was shared in something much more powerful than words or testimonies, but by our ACTIONS.
Case in point: I met another servant on that trip from Pennsylvania named Tim. He wasn’t a professional pastor nor was he a Biblical scholar; just an ordinary layman like me who wanted to do all he could to live up to Jesus’ command to “go, therefore, into all the world…” What was unique about Tim was that he was a successful beekeeper as a hobbyist. Tim shared his God-given knowledge and passion for beekeeping with the villagers, training them in the art of beekeeping and how to leverage the end- product, honey, into a profitable revenue stream for the villages. It was and still is today a sustainable business that is not subject to drought or rainy seasons and has provided funds for education, medicine, food and improving their way of life for years to come.
My takeaway from all of this is that God has given each of us unique gifts, skills, talents and passions. All of them can and should be used for the glory of God. All skills, talents and good passions are authored by God and are intended to be used for His glory, no matter what they may be. You don’t have to be a theologian, a pastor or a seminary grad to share the gifts God has given you with others.
This past Christmas, I was made aware that our 14-year old granddaughter Savannah (who is a lacrosse phenom!) loved the University of North Carolina Lacrosse team and has hopes that one day she could go to college there. So being close to Christmas, we ordered and gave her a UNC Lacrosse team sweatshirt. There were additional gifts that Santa brought her but none were as special to her as that sweatshirt. I know this because every time I’ve seen her since then, she’s wearing that sweatshirt! And that makes me feels good knowing that she appreciates the gift we gave her. Yet it dawns on me that this must be the same way God feels when He sees us using the skills, talents and passions He’s given us; it brings Him glory!
Sharing the love of Christ is not about theology, doctrine or protocol; it’s simply about sharing what God has given you.
St. Francis of Assisi is noted for saying “Preach the Gospel at all times, and if necessary use words.” That just about sums it up.
