Your Special Gift
Understanding Your Gift
Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant.
1 Corinthians 12:1
In First Corinthians 12 and Romans 12, the apostle Paul is teaching us about the role of spiritual gifts in the Church. He correlates these gifts to a human body, telling us that each person’s gift helps the whole Body of the Church.
This is such an important principle for us to learn.
A good example is an administration gift .
“Your spiritual gift of administration/leading is one of the most dangerous gifts in the whole Body of Christ. The reason is that you can see the big picture better than anyone else, and you’re so task-oriented that you could run people into the ground getting your project completed because you think you see it so clearly.(This was me)
That is why the best friend you could ever have is someone with a prophetic gift to discern whether the big picture you see is actually the picture God is directing.
In this example an administration gift is the one gift that can almost stand alone better than any other – at least that is the opinion of the one with that gift.”
Today, I have some special relationships with intercessors and prophetic people whom I depend on for confirmation of direction -with one being my friend and wife Laura.
*I have learned the hard way of coarse, that others spiritual gifts of discernment are of great value in determining strategic direction.
*I have learned that God has placed within each person a spiritual gift that is designed to make the Body of Christ function better for His purposes.
*** When we discover the spiritual gifts God has placed in those around us, we are better able to see the Body function as a real body-totally dependent on one another.
*Some of us are more sensitive to God’s voice because God has gifted us in that way.
* Others of us are less sensitive because God wants us to depend on others in the Body for their gifts.
** Find out whom God has placed around you today and discover a new dimension of spiritual productivity.
“A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”Proverbs 25:11
Has someone ever spoken words that helped you see something valuable(like your giftings) or unique about yourself that you had never seen before?
Solomon places the timing of a word spoken is a priceless accessory. “The right word at the right time is like a custom-made piece of jewelry.”
Jealousy & anger can cause you to use hurtful words. Apples are desirable and our words should be too.
We need to Be honest but not hurtful.
Be O so careful when using our tongue. *Use the TRUTHS from the WORD of GOD.
* Encourage others with the Great News!
In all these things [you] are more than [a] conqueror through him who loved [you]. Romans 8:37
Let God’s promises settle into those places in your heart that need for encouragement today. And then ask Jesus how you might share them. Perhaps there is someone in your life who needs them now more than ever.
Help them see their gift. I have learned through the years that We heal and grow best when we are able to give away to others what we have learned through our trials and experiences in life.
1JN 3:18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with ACTIONS and in TRUTH. 19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence:
Eph. 4:11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Jesus is the ultimate mentor, leader, and teacher. He invites us daily to sit at his feet, to sit beneath his cross, as we learn from him. He wants to teach us all about the forgiveness he earned for us there. And he wants us to learn how to love, how to worship, and how to truly live!
We learn from Jesus. But we also learn from other Christ-followers, from our brothers and sisters in Christ’s body, the Church. And we teach others what Jesus is teaching us about growing in the faith. It’s an awesome responsibility, one that would be scary if we were to forget that Jesus himself lives in us, working in us those attitudes and actions that please him.
God in all his glory made each and everyone of us in a truly special way in that he instilled in us certain skills. Our job is to hone those skills into expanding His kingdom.
Once we connect with His will and purpose for our lives, we will begin to experience His blessings.
We must pray that He helps us or brings others to recognize what we are good at.
The best part about it is that it is going to line up with what we enjoy doing and what brings us great joy. This will help us to perform dutifully and with great enjoyment.
For [you] are God’s masterpiece. He has created [you] anew in Christ Jesus, so [you] can do the good things he planned for [you] long ago. Ephesians 2:10
We are all part of One body and we can not function correctly if there isn’t unity in that body.
Let’s focus on what we’re good at so that we can help our brothers and sisters to do the same.
As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17
God places many “sharpening opportunities” in our lives. As we take advantage of them, we mature as men and women of God, soaring to new heights together with those around us.
We know how to feed our physical body but how do we feed the church Body? We do so by speaking life to on another, by building each other up with love and encouragement, and by working in unison with each other through the Holy Spirit.
As we all know when we let jealousy, bitterness, envy, strife, anger, judgement, and unforgiveness to come into the Body, we allow the body to be broken. Bones busted, tendons torn apart, and muscles strained become evident quickly.
Jesus said that we are to be witnesses to the world BUT when we are witnesses to the hurt and sick world healing should be seen.
If our church Bodies are too invested in healing themselves ALL the time we can’t possibly be operating a health lifestyle.
We must learn how to appreciate who we are individually and what our own unique roles are in the body.
Not everyone can be the head on the body – try to picture a body of nothing but heads, not only would it be ugly but I can’t figure any way it would be an effective tool aside from holding papers. We all want to be important but importance IS given to EACH of us.
Romans 2:11 For God does not show favoritism.
Acts 10:34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.
God says we are all given different measures but He has NEVER said that any one person is more important or significant than another.
James 2: 9 But if YOU show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.
What gives our lives significance (aside from being created by the hands of God) is what we do with what we have been given.
Here is a challenge to all of us..
*Instead of looking for each other’s flaws, mistakes, bad spots, or problems; *Instead of looking at what another is doing and being jealous, envious, or bitter in how we differ;
*instead of looking to build up walls, tear each other down, or operate in false love..
***lets begin to really LOVE and appreciate one another. Look for one compliment to pay each other with sincerity.
I guarantee if we start looking for the GOOD in each other we will find the good easier as we go forward and we will find ourselves part of a healthy Body that IS able to produce life.
Thank you, Lord, for your endless commitment and the forgiveness that flows from your cross. Thanks, too, for surrounding me with people who sharpen my faith – people like my wife, pastor’s, Family, mentors, friends and the ones reading this.(The Body)
In Jesus Name I give you all the glory and praise and help us all in making you “Jesus” “Famous” and help us see that our true identity in this life is to be a follower of You Jesus. Thank you for the Whole Body with NO favorites. Thank you for each one of us being Your Masterpiece in this World to do your Will not our own. Thank you for Your Love and Your Patience with each of us. Bring Unity to your Body Lord we pray! Amen
Verses on Gifts: Acts 1:4-8, Acts 2:1-47
Romans 12:4-8a ,1Corinthians 12:4-31
Ephesians 4:11-16, 1Peter 4:10-11
1Corinthians 13:1-3 Genesis 41:37-40
Exodus 31:1-11Daniel 5:10-12