Those seeds of calling went dormant during my rebellious years, unless I count the stacks of depressing journal entries as writing.
But once He brought me back to Himself and I started praising Him and seeking Him — stirring Him up within me — those seeds began to take root (2 Timothy 1:6-7). And eventually they started to bloom.
The way I understand it from His Word, He gifts us for three basic reasons. He gifts us for our good. He gifts us for the good of others. And ultimately, He gifts for His deserved glory.
Gifts given in love and for love.
For our good
I’m a mess without Him. Believe me. I do all the things that we as humans do. I fuss and whine and fight His potter’s hands. But thankfully He remembers that I can’t do life on my own (Psalm 103:14).
So He gifts us, first with His very own Spirit and then with individual abilities. Individual callings that begin as seeds and then bloom in due season.
When I move through life submitting to His Spirit and engaging those gifts that make me me, I sense His favor. All in grace.
He gifts us for our good.
For the good of others
He gifts us and calls us to certain tasks for the good of all His children. For the good of the church.
For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them…
Romans 12:4-8
Not utilizing our individual gifts actually robs the church of something beautiful and needed. It robs the church of you.
For the church to powerfully spur one another on and then effectively touch the world, we as individuals need to embrace and engage the gifts He’s placed upon us. He designed us for community.
He gifts us for the good of others.
For His deserved glory
We reflect Him when we obey Him. When I do the things that He created me to do, out of the overflow of being filled by His Spirit, I glorify Him.
And He deserves all glory (Revelation 4).
We won’t do life with perfection. We won’t always live out of our gifts. We won’t always use our gifts from a heart of love. But that doesn’t stop Him from gifting.
He is love and grace. All the time. It’s why He gifts.
Fill me, Lord…
How has He gifted you in order for you to minister to His church?
How have you personally been blessed and spurred on by the gifts in others?
Thank you for this, Lara. I was just thinking about this last night… This is such a good word to me today. Bless you my sweet friend.
You are a sweet sister, seeking to honor the Lord so faithfully. I know He is using you and will continue to use you, friend. Xoxo
Lara, I needed this today so much more than you could ever know. Thank you. Love and hugs!
I was just thinking of you yesterday, Hope. Praying for you today.
You described His gifting and our blessing well. Thank you.
Thank you, friend. Blessings.
You just laid out what my heart has been trying to sort through for weeks. Thank you. This is just what I needed to read today.
off to accept my gifts with His grace and use them for His glory. . . . for love.
Beautifully and succinctly said, Lara. I’m thankful that he gifted you in the way he did, and that you are using your gifts with us! May he be honored.