September 6 Gifts
September 6
Gifts
“We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach.”
—Romans 12:6-7
Fresh out of the hospital, my first few weeks at home in a wheelchair were terribly depressing. I knew that the Bible probably contained answers to my problems, but I had no idea where to look.
Now you’d think God would have brought my way a smartly dressed church youth director. He would have grabbed my attention. But no. God brought to my house a boy in the neighborhood, a sixteen-year-old named Steve. We made a deal: I would supply plenty of cola if he would come every Friday evening to open the Bible and help me piece together the puzzle of my suffering.
My heart is still vibrating from what I learned under Steve’s instruction. That young man had the gift of teaching, and it’s interesting to note that Steve, at that point, had never studied in Bible college or graduated with a seminary degree. He wasn’t a pastor skilled in counseling or a youth director trained in methods of discipleship. Steve simply loved God, realized he had the gift of teaching, and opened himself to the Lord’s direction. Thank God He pointed Steve to my house.
When it comes to spiritual gifts, the Lord gets a charge out of picking the most unlikely, ill-equipped people for a job. You don’t need a diploma in domestic engineering to exercise the gift of service, and the gift of giving does not require you to be wealthy. Giftedness works best in people whom the world would never choose to accomplish a task.
Giver of every gift, thank You for the spiritual gift with which You’ve blessed me. May I use it to bless the lives of others and to bring You glory.