Conveying a Priceless Package

We call them conveyer belts. You may have another name for them. They are those big loops of belts and rollers that move packages from one place to another. When I go to the airport, my luggage is placed on one and is zipped to the plane…hopefully the right one!

You see them used in the unloading of a big truck, or in a warehouse. Nothing special. They just work. These things aren’t things of beauty, or seemingly worth much. In fact, it is the things they move around that are the things of value (except for my luggage).

I was discussing this with ministry friends in Austria a while back as we talked about Christian broadcasting. We often find ourselves immersed in the techniques of the craft we call media. Whether it is radio, television, or internet…we spend a lot of time on things like our voice, the delivery style, music selection, timing, and on and on.

It is best to think of these things like those conveyer belts. In and of themselves they are not worth much. It is the message…the Gospel…the Hope for the hopeless…the Light for the darkness…which we convey to the listeners and viewers that is priceless.

Now I have seen conveyer belts break down. Sometimes something blocks the way and packages begin to fall off the belt. When that happens, the important package isn’t getting to the place it needs to be.

The same is true if we are not skilled in our broadcast techniques. Poor craftsmanship, poor production techniques, poor communication skills can all be a barrier to God’s message reaching those who need it.

In our media ministry work, don’t love the conveyer belt and miss the priceless message it is delivering. Be faithful, diligent, skillful…but remember, we work not so others can say how good we are…but how good God is.

Keep your conveyer belt running smoothly. And don’t forget, it is not the conveyer belt that is valuable. It is the package, the Good News, that is priceless.

Jesus loves. Jesus saves.