God gives gifts because He loves us and has a plan for our lives to use them to help others. In addition, the Lord is a master builder. He gives us unique skills and gifts to work with Him to accomplish His will. To think the Lord gives us gifts so we can help Him is amazing because God does not need our help.
God wants to work through us because it is how He transforms and teaches us. The Lord clarifies that He is the author of our gifts.1 Corinthians 12:18 But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. [1] Because the Lord is all-knowing, He knows what gifts we need to accomplish His will.
Unwrapping Our Gifts
The Lord has placed us on this earth to help others, and when we do, we discover that the true meaning of life is not about us. 1 Peter 4:10 God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.[2] When our children were small, one of the best parts of Christmas was watching them open presents and seeing the excitement on their faces. I believe the Lord loves watching us unwrap the gifts He has given us.
Sometimes God’s gifts come when we are young and don’t know how to use them. But as we learn to use them, it must put a smile on the Lord’s face. God gave Barnabas the gift of encouragement, and he went with the Apostle Paul on his first missionary journey. Each time Barnabas encouraged Paul, he used his gift to help someone else. As Barnabas encouraged Paul, the impact on Paul’s life must have been significant because he needed those words of encouragement to keep him going to tell others the good news of Jesus.
God Planned Your Gifts
Take time to imagine the Lord weaving the tapestry of your life with your spiritual gifts. When the Lord planned out your tapestry, He decided what gifts He would give you to enable you to share the love of Jesus. Each time you used your gifts, your tapestry would reflect the building of God’s Kingdom.
As a young child has to learn how to use their arms and hands, the Holy Spirit helps us understand how to use the gifts our Father in heaven has given us. The happiest and most fulfilled people I know use their spiritual gifts to build the Lord’s Kingdom.
As the Holy Spirit guides us, the impact of our gifts is beyond what we can imagine. The Sunday school teachers I had sixty years ago still impact me. At the time, they may not have even realized how important their gifts were in my life. What a blessing to be affected by those using the gifts God gave them. Have you unwrapped the gifts the Lord has given you?
To learn how God gives gifts, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/worship-as-the-body
[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (1 Co 12:18). Tyndale House Publishers.
[2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (1 Pe 4:10). Tyndale House Publishers.