It's been a hectic week. I'm trying to finish up the last few things for the class I did while in Israel. I found a temporary job at Home Depot in the garden department, which I'm loving and hating (hating because I'm getting a ton of ideas for a yard someday that I can't do anything about right now). I've been trying to work on my new blog, which has also suffered a little this past week. There has been some adjustments to the new schedule, and hopefully there are some big changes in the near future.
But this post has been on my mind all week, knowing I need to write it. This whole chapter is on Spiritual gifts, and their use in the Church. It's a topic that I've preached on trying to get people motivated to serve, but thus far hasn't been that effective. Everyone of us has at least one spiritual gift. Some have several and some have a few, some may only have one, but everyone has at least one. God doesn't put someone on earth with nothing to work with.
Each of us have different gifts, and each use our gifts, even if they are the same, differently. Because of that we need each other. This is why God never gives anyone all of them, if someone had them all they wouldn't need anyone else. Each gift is important and essential to the Church, and if someone decides not to use theirs the whole Church suffers. I won't say that the Kingdom is stalled, but it is effected.
When people refuse to use their gift, when they refuse to serve in their area of giftedness, they are denying their mission from God. When people hoard their gift to themselves they are refusing to take part in Kingdom work. This in an unfortunate act of disobedience. How many people haven't been reached because someone refused to use their gift?
I'm just kind of rambling, there is a lot that can be said about this topic and I'm just sort of letting my fingers fly over the key board. No one outlives their usefulness to God. No one uses up their spiritual gift. If you are still alive God still has a purpose for you. If you pour out your gift you will not run out, actually God may add additional gifts to you. In the Gospels Jesus told a parable about a man who went on a journey and entrusted his servants with various amounts of money. Those who used them increased what they had and the one who didn't gained nothing. In one account the one who doesn't use it has it taken from him and it is given to the one who has the most. " For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him" (Matthew 13.12).
You have a gift and it is essential to the work of the Kingdom. As long as you are breathing God has a purpose for you. The question is will you use what He has given you? Will you see the value in the gift, even if its just one, that He has given you and contribute it to the work of the Kingdom? Will you be part of the work of the Church and help the body be fully functional?
"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
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