Wednesday, September 25, 2013

"The Plan - God's Word About Gifts"

"Be humble and gentle.  Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love."  Ephesians 4:2

This week we continue with the WELCA study on Spiritual Gifts, "The Plan - God's Word About Gifts".

Last week we took an assessment to determine our gifts.  Since then I have been given some more resources on Spiritual Gifts, including another assessment that uses 80 Questions and identifies 25 Spiritual Gifts, noting that these are not all the gifts listed in the New Testament.  It also doesn't include gifts that were on the list that we used, like Music & Writing.  Discerning your Spiritual Gifts is an Art, not a Science and scholars often have differing interpretations of the text.  There are also different uses and depth to each assessment or inventory.  If you would like a copy of this second inventory, I'd be happy to give you one.  I may take it, just out of curiosity, to see what is the same and what is different between the two.  I'll let you know!  Maybe I do have some Artistic gifts! :)

Have you considered your passions & areas of need in relation to your gifts?  That is the next step after discovering them, but the study doesn't give a specific week to really discuss this.  It's a good idea to do this on your own, gathering a list or some ideas and then get together with others to talk about it.  We do not use our gifts alone, "A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church."  1 Corinthians 12:7  We cannot keep our gifts to ourselves!  We are called to share them & use them for God's purpose!  Often times your gifts can be applied directly to opportunities within the church.  Sometimes you have to be a little more creative and flexible!

This week our study looks at 3 readings that talk specifically about the gifts that the Holy Spirit gives and how to use them.

Read Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4.  Follow the directions in the study guide on using the READIT method of analyzing the text.  Please read these texts before Friday, as I would love to get right into discussing them and how we can apply Scripture to our everyday lives. 

Of all the scripture I read this week, the opening verse of this post struck me to the core.  The first part about being humble, gentle, & patient is definitely meant for me!  While I continue to work on these, I still find my patience wearing thin and my nature giving way to harsh words and judgement, often times to those I love most.  I thank God that He offers those very things to me that I forget to offer to others.  Especially when I so often require of others the last part of the verse, "...making allowances for each other's faults because of your love."  
Oh, how I hope and pray that on the days when I speak before my brain & heart catch up to my mouth that whomever I have hurt or offended makes an allowance for me!  On the days that the best I have to offer is less than my best, I hope that those I disappoint or make weary will make an allowance for me!  And on the days that humility & gentleness seem lost to me, I pray that those who know me on that day don't judge my whole character on that slip of the tongue or bravado, because that's not who I am.  It is human nature to do stupid stuff, to let slip something you wish you could suck back in at the very moment it comes tumbling out, to be less than our best self 24/7!  But that is the beauty of being a Christian -  of being loved by the One who created us and loves us and gave His Son to die for us.  That we are Sinner and Saint; that we can offer humility, gentleness, and make allowances for our Brothers & Sisters out of love one day and be the one in need on another.  

Even when we are using the Gifts that the Holy Spirit has given us, we are not perfect.  We are not perfect in knowing how to use them or in their execution.  This is probably why Paul says in Romans 12:12 "...Be patient in trouble, and always be prayerful." and why he explains the Fruit of the Holy Spirit, "But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control." Galatians 5:22-23.  We cannot do any of this on our own, but with God as our designer (Jeremiah 1:5) and the Holy Spirit giving us gifts and the fruit, we can boldly do His work.   When we confess that we are in need, ask forgiveness and offer forgiveness, we are filled the the fruit of the Holy Spirit and are able to use our Spiritual Gifts with reckless abandon for the good of the Kingdom of God!

Your Partner in Ministry,
Shelly

"Kind words are like honey - sweet to the soul and healthy for the body."  Proverbs 16:24




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