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God-Given Gifts
The Bible assures us that every single person on earth has at least one - and probably several God-given gifts placed inside of them to be used for God's glory. When we entered this world, God already had a plan for us and gave us the gifts we needed to fulfill our destinies.
When God called Jeremiah, He reassured him by saying, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations" (Jeremiah 1:5).
God knew what Jeremiah was called to do and gave him the necessary gifts to fulfill that call even before he was born. God formed you in the womb too! He knows what you are called to do and has placed the perfect gifts inside of you to fulfill your destiny.
The apostle Paul assures us that each of us within the body of Christ have different gifts that are a response to God's grace: "Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly…" (Romans 12:6).
And Peter reminded his readers that they were on earth to glorify God through the use of their gifts: "As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen" (1 Peter 4:10-11).
It's a great idea to ask yourself at the beginning of each year, "What is my vision? What is my destiny, and how to I reach it?" Asking these questions will help us focus on God's plan and purpose for our lives. In response to each of these questions, it is important for us to set reachable goals that we can achieve with the Lord's help. Remember, if we don't have a target, we're not aiming at anything. And if we're not aiming at anything, we won't even know if we hit the mark because we don't know what we're aiming at.
As we step into 2014, which is the Year of the Open Door, let's return to the basics of the gospel. Each of us should ponder these questions: What are our gifts from heaven? Do we know what God has placed in us to fulfill His plan? Do we know what our part in that plan is? It's important for us to identify our gifts because they are the keys that open doors and bring us into our divine destiny.
Proverbs 18:16 promises us, "A man's gift makes room for him and brings him before great men."
We can be sure that our gifts will be an integral part to fulfilling our God-given dreams. It's sad to watch people when they don't understand this connection. They begin to look for things in the world to fulfill their desires rather than looking to God. Unfortunately, most end up frustrated at best and discouraged at worst. However, when we learn to walk in our God-given gifts, we are not only content with our vocations, but we become passionate about them as well.
It's true that education is good and beneficial for the fulfillment of many of our dreams. But the Word of God does not tell us that education will make room for us. Don't get me wrong here: education is important and sometimes we can only walk through certain open doors because of our education. But the Bible is very clear that it is our gifts that make room for us. After all, we could earn multiple master's degrees but they may not help a bit if we don't know our true Master.
I like how 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 (NLT) helps keep us humble.
Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world's eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And He chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.
Beloved, our gifts from God bring us joy, peace, and success. It's when we learn to operate in them like a well-oiled machine, and are led by the Holy Spirit that we can flow with the rhythm of heaven.
Here's another exciting aspect about our gifts. Not only will they open doors for us, but they can also bring us the finances we need to fulfill our destinies. When we use our gifts wisely for the Lord, He will give us favor so finances will be freely given to us so that we can keep advancing the kingdom of God.
In other words, once the gift of God within us is activated, it can become a usable commodity that ushers in promotion. Daniel is the perfect example of this godly concept when he used his gifts to interpret King Nebuchadnezzar's dream:
Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face and did homage to Daniel, and gave orders to present to him an offering and fragrant incense. The king answered Daniel and said, "Surely your God is a God of gods and a Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, since you have been able to reveal this mystery." Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts, and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon. (Daniel 2:46-48)
After discovering our God-given gifts, it then becomes our responsibility to continually practice using them. God has called each of us to exercise our gifts so they become strong. Just like we will never reach our health goals without exercising regularly, so we may never reach our life goals if we don't exercise our gifts regularly. When we practice our gifts, we'll become more confident in our identity in Christ, thus fulfilling His plan and purpose for us.
And might I suggest here that we stay focused on "our" gifts and let the Lord bring other gifts around us. I remember years ago when I was serving a brilliant author. I was helping take his writings and organize them into sequenced trainings.
One day I looked at the leader and said, "We need to pray that the Lord gives you the gift of administration!" He looked directly at me, smiled, and said, "He did…she's sitting right there." It was a prophetic moment in my life that I didn't forget. God will bring other people (they are gifts themselves and also have various gifts) around us to connect the dots on the road to destiny.
Oftentimes people get stalled in the pursuit of dreams because they're waiting for some man or woman to open doors for them. But listen! God has a better plan for you. He has given you the keys to open doors to your future - those keys are your gifts. And the gifts inside of you are perfect because they are what God determined for you to have even before you were born.
When we wisely use our God-given gifts, they bring God glory and bring us before kings. Let's take the time to do a spiritual inventory, asking God to strengthen and use our gifts for His glory. After all, it's not just about the gifts; it's about worshiping and honoring the Gift-Giver - His name is Jesus. He gave us the greatest gift ever….the gift of eternal life to all who will receive it.
Paulette Reed
Flowing in the Unforced Rhythms
of Your Destiny
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By John Meyer
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