Category Archives: Spiritual Gifts

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February 4, 2016

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Church & Worship, Family, Friends & Fellowship, Holy Spirit, Salvation: A New You, Spiritual Gifts, Today: Make it Count, Wisdom & Guidance

WHAT KIND OF ASSIGNMENTS?

There are different kinds of gifts, but they are all from the same Spirit. There are different ways to serve but the same Lord to serve. And there are different ways that God works through people but the same God. God works in all of us in everything we do. Something from the Spirit can be seen in each person, for the common good. … One Spirit, the same Spirit, does all these things, and the Spirit decides what to give each person. [1 Corinthians 4:4-7,11 (NCV)]

checking blood pressureLike any good guest, when the Holy Spirit comes to us, He doesn’t come empty-handed—He brings a gift. It’s neither generic nor a “one-size fits all” sort of thing. He brings each of us our very own spiritual gift specifically designed just for us. Like any appreciative recipient of such a precious gift, however, it is our job to unwrap and use it.

Although they’re easily confused, spiritual gifts aren’t talents. Granted, they both come from God, can be developed with practice, and are intended to be shared with others. God is not wasteful, so our talents often complement our spiritual gifts but they’re not the same things. While we may be born with an innate talent or into a home where a talent is developed, our spiritual gifts don’t arrive until we accept Christ. Instead of a hostess gift, maybe a better analogy would be a welcoming gift. Our spiritual gifts are God’s way of welcoming us into the body of Christ. Paul listed various kinds of spiritual gifts in Ephesians, Romans and 1 Corinthians and no two lists are exactly the same. Although the Apostle listed some spiritual gifts, I seriously doubt that he listed them all. We have an unlimited God and I’m sure the Holy Spirit is not limited by Paul’s list when it comes to giving us gifts.

If you’re wondering about your special gift, look around your church family and notice the spiritual gifts that are being used. The people who are gifted in serving keep our churches running—they do the mailings, fold the programs, run the sound systems, and mow the lawns. Those gifted with hospitality serve the coffee, welcome people to the services, and offer their homes for small groups. We don’t just find those gifted with teaching in the classrooms, they’re the ones who show us how to apply the Bible’s teachings to everyday situations. Those gifted with faith are the prayer warriors and God-confident ones. Willing to take a risk and step out in faith, their faith spurs us all into action. Those faith dreams, however, can’t turn into reality without the people gifted with administration and organization. Nor are they possible without the people who quietly support and fund God’s work—the ones gifted with generosity. Without them, even the best laid plans would never materialize. Those gifted with leadership know how to get workers, motivate them, and delegate responsibility. We need the good decision making-skills and sound advice of those gifted with wisdom and profit from the scriptural insight of those gifted with knowledge. Without the words of those gifted with exhortation, the church won’t reach its full potential. Their encouraging voices strengthen and inspire their brothers and sisters in Christ. Those gifted with discernment can recognize truth from error, spot hidden agendas, and distinguish the phony from the sincere. Filled with compassion, those gifted with mercy minister to people in need; they mourn with those who mourn and minister to those in pain. Those gifted in prophecy can offer messages from God that reveal His purpose or guide actions. Those gifted with healing may have a healing touch or simply take people’s blood pressure, impart good medical information, or help heal emotional wounds. Those gifted with evangelism are the ones who can so openly and easily share their faith, something not all of us are comfortable doing, and those gifted in pastoring are the ones who so beautifully shepherd their flocks. Most of us are pretty limited in the talent department, but God has gifted us all with spiritual gifts and a special way to use that gift in the body of Christ.

We all have different gifts, each of which came because of the grace God gave us. [Romans 12:6a (NCV)]

Together you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of that body. [1 Corinthians 12:27 (NCV)]

Copyright © 2016 jsjdevotions. All rights reserved.

 

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January 26, 2016

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Attitudes & Behavior, Challenges & Difficulty, Family, Friends & Fellowship, God's Plan, Patience & Perseverance, Spiritual Gifts, Temptation & Sin, Today: Make it Count

COMPARISONS

Let everyone be sure that he is doing his very best, for then he will have the personal satisfaction of work well done and won’t need to compare himself with someone else. Each of us must bear some faults and burdens of his own. For none of us is perfect! [Galatians 6:4-5 (TLB)]

julias and clouded yellow butterflies When I log the number of steps I’ve taken each day, I often compare my total with that of my Fitbit friends. No matter what I do or how far I’ve walked, one friend is always far ahead of me. True, a little friendly competition can be good for us when it makes us challenge ourselves and work harder. Walking with this friend, for example, challenges me to step up my pace. Too competitive a spirit, however, can hurt us. Last year, bound and determined to record more steps than she, I devoted a week to out-walking this woman who is nearly thirty years my junior. I ended up with a stress fracture and, to add insult to injury, she still logged more steps!

Comparing ourselves to other people can lead to more than a stress fracture. We usually end up thinking we’re either inferior to or better than the other person. Either way, comparing puts the focus on us rather than our goal and love ceases to be our motivation. We’re commanded not to covet and comparing ourselves to others often leads to jealousy and coveting. By trying to out-walk my friend, I was coveting her youth and fitness. I was focusing on what I wasn’t and wanted to be (a beautiful athletic young woman) rather than what I am and can be (a healthy fit older woman).

When comparing ourselves to others, we also risk becoming pride filled. Even though I can’t out-walk my friend, I usually manage to out-walk most of our other Fitbit friends. I confess to having felt rather smug about that until I remembered that their goals may be quite different than mine and they probably don’t have the free time for fitness that I do.

God created each of us with unique strengths and weaknesses and gave each of us our own custom-designed race to run and track on which to run it. Some people will be faster and some courses will be easier but that’s God’s business, not ours. Instead of comparing ourselves to anyone else, we should be thankful for who and what we are. Rather than trying to be better than the other guy, perhaps we should just try to be the person God wants us to be! The good examples of others can encourage us and our good examples can inspire others, but we must never get bogged down by comparing ourselves or by trying to run someone else’s race. If we must compare, how about comparing ourselves to Jesus? A word of warning, however, it’s a guarantee that we’ll be found wanting in that one!

Be all you can be. [U.S. Army slogan from 1980-2001]

I don’t mean to say I am perfect. I haven’t learned all I should even yet, but I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ saved me for and wants me to be. No, dear brothers, I am still not all I should be, but I am bringing all my energies to bear on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God is calling us up to heaven because of what Christ Jesus did for us. [Philippians 3:12-14 (TLB)]

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November 5, 2015

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God's Plan, God's Word: The Bible, Knowing Him, Nature, Peace of God, Sharing Our Faith, Spiritual Gifts

WHY DO I DO IT?

Anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. But how shall they ask him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? [Romans 10:13-14 (TLB)]

I’d been asked to answer why Jesus moved me to write a Christian daily devotional. There certainly are times I ask myself that same question. I wondered how to reply to that query as I walked the swamp/bird sanctuary this morning.

corkscrew swamp sanctuaryOriginally a city girl, I never would have expected spending at least one day a week on this boardwalk in the midst of water, ferns, cypress, herons, hawks, spiders and gators. A private person, I would never have expected to share my faith journey so publicly either. While contemplating why I do it, I started taking pictures of the swamp. I silently complained that, no matter how many shots I take, I’ve never managed to capture the beauty, mystery and sense of peace I find in this strange place. Neither words nor photos can capture why I love it so—and yet I continue to try. I will admit that I didn’t love it at first. We first visited out of curiosity but became intrigued enough to come again and again and learn more about it. Now, whenever we have visitors, the swamp is a “must do” activity. Being so familiar with it, we can show them where the deer might be found, the gator family lives, the scarlet hibiscus and blue flag iris hide, the baby owls roost, and the woodpeckers nest—all of which we missed on our earlier visits. We can explain how the strangler fig grows, about the cypress knees, which wading bird they’re seeing, and what the seemingly dead resurrection fern will look like after a rain—none of which we knew when we first visited. We didn’t love the swamp at first but, as we came to know it, we grew to love it and want to share that love with others.

So, what compels me to post a Christian devotion five times a week? Just as I want to share my love of the swamp with our guests, even though I’m neither botanist nor zoologist, God has somehow tasked me with the sharing of my love of Jesus with strangers, even though I’m neither theologian nor minister! He’s given me the desire to share my faith and my failings, the peace of God and the struggles of a follower, the comfort of His presence and the guidance of His word so that others can experience the peace, love and joy that comes from a relationship with Jesus and reading the Bible.

My words and photos can’t do justice to the swamp so, if you’re ever in Southwest Florida, be sure to spend some time at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. You’ve just got to experience it for yourself. The words of my devotions can’t do justice to God, either. My prayer is that people will find them interesting enough to encourage them to delve into God’s word for themselves and take their own journey of faith. You’ve got to experience God firsthand and, as we found with the swamp, once you know Him, you’ll love Him. Unlike our favorite swamp, however, there’s no admission fee.

A true faith in Jesus Christ will not suffer us to be idle. No, it is an active, lively, restless principle; it fills the heart, so that it cannot be easy till it is doing something for Jesus Christ. [George Whitefield]

When the Council saw the boldness of Peter and John and could see that they were obviously uneducated non-professionals, they were amazed and realized what being with Jesus had done for them! … [Peter and John replied] “We cannot stop telling about the wonderful things we saw Jesus do and heard him say.” [Acts 4:13, 20 (TLB)]

For just preaching the Gospel isn’t any special credit to me—I couldn’t keep from preaching it if I wanted to. I would be utterly miserable. Woe unto me if I don’t. If I were volunteering my services of my own free will, then the Lord would give me a special reward; but that is not the situation, for God has picked me out and given me this sacred trust, and I have no choice. [1 Corinthians 9:16-17 (TLB)]  

swamp lily-great egret-blue flag iris

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August 5, 2015

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Attitudes & Behavior, Church & Worship, God's Grace & Love, God's Plan, Love & Works, Money & Wealth, Sharing Our Faith, Spiritual Gifts

THE GRACE PROJECT – PART 2 (RECEIVING)

And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” [Acts 20:35 (NLT)]

columbine - mhspIL0549-2-cropwebWhile our pastor was preaching his series on God’s grace, an acquaintance asked me to pray for her friend (who we’ll call Faith) and her friend’s twenty-month old daughter (who we’ll call Hope). Faith was a single mother with no family support. Baby Hope, underweight and slow in her development, was failing to thrive for no apparent medical reason and scheduled to undergo a series of medical tests. Because she’d missed so much work due to her daughter’s illnesses, Faith had lost her job.

When our pastor offered each congregant a ten dollar bill to use to spread God’s grace, I just knew that money was intended for Faith. When the time came to accept the cash, however, I hesitated. The church was struggling to pay down their mortgage. Why should I take money from it when I had enough of my own to give away? I didn’t feel that I could accept the church’s money when they had such a great need themselves.

The next week, ten dollar bills were offered once more and, again, I wouldn’t take one. Instead, I decided to send Faith some of my own money. While I could certainly afford it, that just didn’t feel right; that wasn’t part of God’s plan. The point of the exercise wasn’t just to give someone something; it was to accept something we didn’t deserve and then to pass it along. I knew that sending my own money bypassed the first part of the lesson.

Every day, as I prayed for Faith and Hope, I continued to be troubled by my refusal to accept the church’s money. A week later, I attended a class about spiritual gifts. Unexpectedly, the pastor gave me ten dollars to illustrate a point about the acceptance of God’s gifts. I had to laugh when it appeared that I could no longer escape that ten dollar bill! All I had to do was accept it, which I finally did. The next day, it was sent to Faith along with a note of encouragement and a promise to keep her in my prayers.

I’m glad God is so persistent—there was a lesson I needed to learn about accepting His gifts and He wasn’t about to quit until I learned it. Our God is loving and generous and, no matter how difficult it seems, we should be gracious enough to accept His gifts and use them wisely. The Apostle Paul quoted Jesus as saying that it is “more blessed to give than to receive.” While that’s undoubtedly true, for many of us, it much harder to receive than it is to give!

Thank you, Heavenly Father, for the many gifts you lavish upon us, your children. May we always accept them with enthusiasm and grateful hearts and share them with joy and love.

As God loves a cheerful giver, so He also loves a cheerful taker, who takes hold on His gifts with a glad heart. [John Donne]

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. [Ephesians 2:8-10 (NLT)]

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August 26, 2014

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Attitudes & Behavior, Fruit of the Spirit, Holy Spirit, Spiritual Gifts

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

8-26-14 fruitofspiritWEBBut what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard – things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. [Galatians 5:22-23 (MSG)]

I love to picture the fruit tree of a Christian’s life. Instead of apples or oranges, it is laden with fruit like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Let’s grab our bushel baskets and harvest this wonderful fruit of the Holy Spirit!

The Fruit of the Spirit Song (Fill Me Up)
[by Rick Muchow & Rick Warren]

God’s apple is love, His orange is patience,
Banana is self-control, His lemon is peace,
His kindness a peach, And my life is the bowl.

So, fill me up (with your Spirit, it’s delicious),
Fill me up (let me hear it, it’s nutritious),
Fill me all the way up, With the fruit of Your Spirit!

 

 

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August 4, 2014

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Attitudes & Behavior, Fruit of the Spirit, God's Plan, Obedience, Spiritual Gifts

WHAT’S YOUR PURPOSE?

We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better. [Colossians 1:9b-10 (NLT)]

What is my purpose, my goal, in life? Now in my seventh decade, I still vacillate over the answer. Moreover, the answer seems to have changed over the years. Was it to be an obedient child and a good student? To be a good mother and homemaker? Is it now to be a loving grandmother? Has it been to be a community volunteer? Is it now to be a writer? Was it to help my husband in business? Is it now to enjoy retirement?

What is our purpose in life? Is it to be someone, have something, achieve a special goal, accomplish a specific task, or to amass a particular amount of money? Upon reading the Bible, however, I realize there is no reason to be uncertain when answering that question. Our purpose is clearly laid out for us in Jesus’ own words:

Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” [Matthew 22:37-40 (NLT)]