Are You Living Up to the Gift?

Yesterday one of my closest friends told me I needed to be using the gifts God gave me - or else I would lose those gifts. I didn't tell her, but those words really rattled me. Why? Well, because I am a writer and I am not using that talent to honor the Lord. Yes, I am writing as a source of income by freelance writing; however, I am not writing what I know God designed me to write - and that's inspirational women's fiction.

For the past year our finances, like many other family's finances, have been very bleak and I have done anything and everything to help my husband. That includes selling on eBay, crocheting scarves and making jewelry to sell on Etsy and in a local artisian shop, as well as working two part-time jobs and freelance writing. I have literally been working myself into a frenzy and my health has suffered dramatically from the stress of trying to balance all these activities. Oh, I forgot, on top of all this, I have been a doting grandma to my sweet little granddaughter two mornings a week while my daughter is in nursing school. Oh my...I am making myself tired just writing about everything I have been doing! It's most definitely time to slow down!

All this made me open my devotional, Discouraged Moms' Devotions to Go, and reread the devotion on Spiritual Gifts I wrote. I thought I'd share that devotion with you today in the hopes that you, like me, will begin to consciously try to do something everyday that is related to your Spiritual Gift - and to stop trying to be "Wonder Woman" and do it all. :) If that's possible!!


Understanding Spiritual Gifts
an excerpt from Discouraged Moms' Devotions to Go

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and power for ever and ever. 1 Peter 4:10-11

The Bible makes it clear that each one of us is equipped with specific abilities called spiritual gifts. These spiritual gifts are not natural talents, which we are born with, but are gifts that are given to us at our spiritual birth.

Our spiritual gift indicates the particular way that God equips us to serve in the community of Christ, complementing others in the body of Christ. In Romans 12, Paul mentions several spiritual gifts including prophecy, serving, teaching, encouragement, giving, leadership, and mercy. How do you determine your spiritual gifts? Most of the time your spiritual gifts will correlate with your natural abilities. For instance if you have always been academic and enjoy speaking in front of others, you may find that your spiritual gift is teaching.

Take a look at the description of each spiritual gift below and see if you clearly fit into one category. The best way to find your specific spiritual gifts is by taking a spiritual gifts inventory. Many churches offer these, so I would suggest meeting with your spiritual director or pastor to discuss the possibility. There are also several available online. Working within your spiritual giftedness will make your work much more interesting and you’ll find that you will be much more energized working within a ministry or a job that fits your gift.

· Prophecy - Do you oftentimes communicate spiritual truths to other believers? A person with this spiritual gift does just that – communicates God’s truth to other believers, essentially declaring the will of God.

· Serving – Do you enjoy working behind the scenes, keeping the work of the ministry moving? If so, you may have the gift of serving, which offers practical service to the church body.

· Teaching – Do you enjoy studying God’s Word and sharing what you have learned with others? If so, you may have been given the gift of teaching or a person who researches and teaches the application of the Bible as it relates to everyday living.

· Encouragement – Do you enjoy encouraging others in their Christian walk? An encourager uses spiritual truths to encourage spiritual progress in others.

· Giving – Are you constantly giving material possessions or making monetary contributions to those in need? A person with the gift of giving provides monetary or material assistance.

· Leadership – Are you a leader by nature? Do others look to you for direction? If so, you may have been given the gift of leadership or a person who offers leadership and direction, and increases the vision of the church body.

· Mercy – Do others come to you with their personal problems? Do you find yourself offering advice and direction to others more often than not? If you have this spiritual gift, you very likely enjoy providing personal and emotional support to those in need.

When someone gives you a gift, what do you usually do with the gift? You open it and then enjoy what you received. God has given you a gift. Are you going to open your gift, use and enjoy it or are you simply going to let your gift go to waste?