Passage: 1 Corinthians 12:1-11
7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. NIV
7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. NLT
This is the verse that stood out to me this week. I prefer the way NLT translates it because I like the idea of using my spiritual gift to help others. Some people really struggle with what their spiritual gifts are. Here are my thoughts to encourage you…
God loves you so He likely has gifted you in an area that you talented and skilled. I think God get’s pleasure out of us doing something for Him that we enjoy doing. Perhaps you use these talents and skills at work or as a hobby. Now think of a way you can benefit and help others by using your skills and talents. For example I enjoy blogging so I write this blog and hopefully it’s helping others. If you had to put blogging into a category listed in this chapter I am not sure where it would fall. Blogging wasn’t invented back than 🙂 But it is helpful to others, brings honor to God and I am using a skill God gave me to bless others.
We don’t need to complicate the matter of spiritual gifts. If you enjoy praying…PRAY! If you enjoy socializing go visit some lonely seniors or be that person who seeks out people standing alone and Church and approach them in a conversation. If you like to drink coffee take someone out for a coffee. Do what works for you and do it to help others and bring honor and glory to God. I believe it’s that simple.
Sometimes God does call us out of our comfort zones. For this to happen you must surrender all of your ‘self’. God called Moses to do something he was not at all talented or skilled for. But in doing this we were able to see more of God’s work and less of Moses. At first Moses did not surrender to this plan God had for him but in the end he did and he didn’t regret it. So be aware that this can happen and if you are truly in tune with what God is doing in your life He may take you down a path that is very different from what you expected. Those paths are like amazing adventures filled with waterfalls, valleys and mountain tops!
If you need an idea about what you can do, leave a comment in the box below about what you enjoy doing and I will see how I can help direct you in a way that you can use it for God. I know this woman who loves to shop and her shopping skills came in very handy one day when I had less than a few weeks to prepare for the adoption of our new-born baby girl. This was VERY HELPFUL! I was in panic mode and she just walked around calmly and filled the cart 🙂 It was a simple act of kindness that brought her to meet me at the store but if she wasn’t there I would have had a panic attack….(no joke)
Ask your family and friends what they could see you doing and you may be surprised to get some good ideas. If God is calling you in a direction you don’t feel skilled in at all and its way out of your comfort zone I would love to pray for you. Send me an email and get a small group of people committed to pray with you along your journey. You never know where God will take you if you LET HIM.
I think the most important thing this week is a call to action. Don’t just think and pray about it DO IT! Give yourself no more than a week to come up with a plan and execute it. Get others to pray for you and ask you how you’re doing. God didn’t make us Christians to be self-absorbed in a perfect little world. We have all been helped by others and have been thankful for it. We as Christians should be leading the way in this trend not falling behind.
Leave a comment for prayer or to share how you are helping others. I love to hear what others are doing with their spiritual gifts. I will speak for everyone now and say don’t worry about bragging…we’re all on the same team! Let’s cheer each other on!!!
In the clay,
Chantal Dube