All of us have God-given gifts, it's just a matter of identifying them. The Holy Spirit gives us these to build up the Kingdom of God here on earth, and bring new souls to Jesus Christ. They are identified in numerous passages in the Bible: Corinthians 12:1-14, Romans 12: 6-8, and Ephesians 4:11.
If you stop long enough to look, you can see these gifts and manifested in the lives of those around you, including your own. Sometimes, I think it's more easy to recognize some one elses spiritual gifts other than your own, even if they can't see it themselves.
I have been able to do that in many of my friends over the years. The gifts of love and faithfulness are easy to see in my friend Ron with his out going and never ending zest for Jesus. He has had a Bible Study class and mens prayer group for many years. Ron also has the gift of evangelism, and will minister to anyone, anytime. He is easy with a smile and Bible verse to lighten any load you are carrying. Ron embraces his gifts and lives for the Lord each and every moment of his life.
I think my husband Steve has a servants heart and what a gift that is. He has always taken care of me and our kids, but he has been my "caregiver" for over 12 years now since the onset of my MS. It can't be easy taking care of someone elses' needs all the time, but he does it every day with style. Along with being my best friend and the love of my life, he is tireless in his devotion to me and I am so thankful and grateful for his patience and love. Definitely a "God Thing," as I like to say. He might not see himself as a servant of the Lord, but I certainly do.
It has been easy to see the gifts of wisdom and guidance, through a number of my dear friends like Brent and Mary. They were our pastor and wife years ago when I went through my medical crisis in 1997. That totally bonded me to them for life. I will never forget their presence in my life when I needed them most. Although they moved on to another church 10 years ago, but we have remained close and have turned to them in some of our darkest hours. They have the gift of ministry and are both leaders for Christ. They always look at anything in life through the eyes of Jesus. I so value their continued friendship.
My dear friend Michelle always has the gift of encouragement. She suffers with MS, like me, yet she always keeps a positive attitude about life. She always tries to look for the best in a situation and in a person. She is always there to tell me I'm doing a good job, or giggle or is excited just to sit around and play scrabble and talk about life. Her bright smile always encourages me every time I see her.
One of my oldest and closest friends is Ellen. I have known and loved her for over 36 years! She is always there for me, in good times and bad. I worked with her for years, and have always known her to just be one of the kindest and most patient people I have ever known. She is one of those people that God puts in your life for a lifetime, and I am so thankful for that! What a blessing she has been for all the people that have known her over the years.
I have many more friends that continue to touch my life with their gifts. God is using them each day, and they may not even know it. I watch them moving through their lives and I see the people that they impact, and how they reach out and uplift others. It is awesome!
Stop and take time to think about your own spiritual gifts. Do you know what they are? Are you using your God-given gifts to build up the kingdom of God? Take a few minutes to read the Bible verses above and reach out to others with your gifts from the Lord. It will bring incredible joy to your life :)
My verses for day are about spiritual gifts Corinthians 12:1-14, Romans 12: 6-8, and Ephesians 4:11,
Romans 6:6
" We each have different gifts, according to the grace given us... let us use them in proportion
to our faith."
My prayer for today:
Dear Lord:
Thank you for your Holy Spirit and the gifts He bestows. Help me to use my gifts to spread the love of Jesus to everyone I love.
In Jesus Name I pray,
Amen
