Gifted!

You see a gift wrapped up in pretty paper, tied with a shiny bow…and think ooh…is that for me? Yes, yes it is!

You don’t walk way and leave the gift on the table…NO of course not. You thank the person who gave the gift, open right up, and exclaim over the beauty, uniqueness and specialness of this gift just for you.

Then you don’t put the gift back in the box and put the box on a shelf in the back of your closet…NO of course not. You enjoy using the gift for what it is designed.

You Have a Gift

If you are a believer…a person save by faith in Christ Jesus…you have a gift. A special gift given to you individually by the Holy Spirit.

It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have. 

1 Corinthians 12:11 NLT

Open Your Gift

Now this is a gift that you might not see with your eyes. At least not at first. But instead it is one you will sense with your heart and mind. Yet we should be excited about receiving this gift as the one with the shiny bow. So how do we open this gift?

First, talk to God. Asking Him to reveal your gift to you and that you would have eyes to see and a heart open to receive it.

Second, try it out. It is helpful to check to see if you have heard right…so try using your gift and see how it goes. It may be rough at first. The gift we receive is a ability, that will need to be developed through training and some trial and error.

Third, ask a friend. A mature believer, who knows you well, at least who has seen you using your gift, what they see in you and your giftedness.

Use Your Gift

God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.

1 Peter 4:10 NLT

What is unique about the gift given by the Holy Spirit is…it is not for us. But instead it is for us to use to help other believers. There are two general types of gifts, speaking and serving.

If you have been given the gift of speaking, there are various ways you could use your gift…teaching, encouraging, leading, evangelizing, etc…

If you have been given the gift of serving, there also are various ways you could use this gift…helping, showing mercy, giving, etc…

Bring Glory

The purpose of our gifts to be bring glory to God. We do that as we use gift to serve one another and equipping others to do the work God has for them to do.

Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.

1 Peter 4:11

To learn more about your special gift read Romans 12:3-8, 1 Corinthians 12, 1 Peter 4:10-11, and Ephesians 4:1-16.

The Desires of Your Heart

…then you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31

And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Hebrews 13:6

Our people must also learn to engage in good deeds to meeting pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful. Titus 3:14

Doing

The doer in me is drawn to these verses…bring glory to God…please God…meet pressing needs.

My husband and I just returned from a week’s deployment in Louisiana helping with the clean up from Hurricane Ida. Each morning a team member would share a short devotion. As I prepared mine, I was challenged to look past just doing things for God and to see our need to delight in God.

Delighting

Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

Delight – to enjoy, take pleasure in

I realized I needed to shift my priority from doing things for God with all its busy activity to making time to delight in the presence of the Lord.

I need to learn to enjoy time with God, to more willing to wait and abide in Him and not squirming, eager to get doing. During my prayer time I need to not just speak and give God my prayer requests and “instructions” on what I think should be done (be honest you probably do this too), I need listen for the Lord to speak to me through His “still small voice” and through His word.

Speaking of God’s word. Sometimes reading the Bible is like a Google search…as I search to find solutions for difficulties I am facing. Whereas, delighting in God, requires me find joy in growing closer to God. Developing an intimate relationship with God…praising and worshiping Him should be the goal.

Desiring

God doesn’t desire our frantic activity. He desires us to want more of Him, to delight in His presence. It is in our delighting, God will give us what we most desire…Him.

The Lord delights in those who fear him,  who put their hope in his unfailing love Psalm 147:11