In review of 1 Peter 4:10 I read, “God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.” (NLT)
My abilities should be used to faithfully serve others; they are not for my exclusive enjoyment. I am to discover my gifts and use them to help others. Meanwhile if I see a need, I should seek to meet it.
Discovering what God created me for and what my destiny is very important.
The first thing I must do is recognize the gifts God has given me to use. These include the things I can’t control; such as my parents, nationality, race, and language. They also include my SHAPE; my spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences. These are the things that make me uniquely me.
Now, I am not responsible for the gifts God didn’t give me. For instance, since I’m not artistically gifted, I am not expected to paint pictures like Rembrandt. However I am responsible for the ones he did give me.
When I get to heaven, God isn’t going to compare me with anyone else, but he will compare me with myself. What did I do with what I was given? What could I have done if I had trusted God a little bit more? Romans 14:12 says, “Each of us will give an account of ourselves to God” (NIV).
God gave Esther a SHAPE uniquely designed to help her fulfill her destiny. As a result, “Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her . . . she won [the king’s] favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen” (Esther 2:15, 17 NIV).
Like Esther God has given me gifts for a purpose. And just like Esther, I have a responsibility to be a good steward of those gifts. They are not just for my benefit. God gave them to me for the benefit of others.
When I discover my gifts and determine to use them for good, God can use me, just like he used Esther, for his purposes on Earth.
In summary, God has given me a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. I am to use them well to serve others. It’s important to discover my gifts and use them to help. Meanwhile if I see a need, I should seek to meet it. The first thing is recognize the gifts God has given me to use. These include the things I can’t control and my SHAPE; those things that make up my spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences. These are the things that make me uniquely me. The good news is that I am not responsible for the gifts God didn’t give me, but I am responsible for the ones he did give me. At the end of my life, God isn’t going to compare me with anyone else, but he will compare me with myself. What did I do with what I was given? What could I have done if I had trusted God a little bit more? God has given me gifts for a purpose. I have a responsibility to be a good steward of those gifts. They are not just for my benefit. God gave them to me for the benefit of others. When I discover my gifts and determine to use them for good, God can use me for his purposes on Earth.
I should create a list of all the gifts God has given me, along with my SHAPE and the things you can’t control. Then consider, “What has God given me to use for good?” What is one way I can use these gifts for good this week?
Father thank you for this reminder, especially as I begin to prepare for my next job. I ask you for wisdom and guidance as I prepare. I also ask for wisdom today with my current work, my leadership and my interaction with others. I pray these things through your Son Jesus’ name, Amen.
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