Monday, July 10 – 1 Corinthians 12:1-11
You are not an accident. You are definitely not here by chance. You have been created by God on purpose, for a purpose, and in love! But there’s even more. Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, God also made you part of his family, the church. And in his family, God has given you a unique role to play in encouraging and equipping other members of his family.
To assist you in your role as an encourager and equipper, God has also given you certain “spiritual gifts,” particular ways in which his Spirit flows through you to others. These gifts are seamlessly combined with your talents, strengths, skills, passions, and life experiences in such a way that it’s often hard to tell where one ends and the other begins!
You might think of these gifts as a set of power tools that help you accomplish the various assignments God has for you. Some of these tools can help you listen better to God as he directs you how to pray. Some of these tools can enable God’s healing power to flow through you to others. And some of these tools can help you teach and share God’s Word with others in a way that changes their lives. The Bible gives about 27 examples of spiritual gifts, but there are probably as many gifts as there are people.
So, how do you know what spiritual gifts God has given you? One of the easiest ways to get a good idea of what your spiritual gifts are is to ask several of your friends and family the following two questions:
How do you see God showing up in my life?
How does that make an impact on your life?
Chances are you’ll begin to see a pattern emerge from how they answer those questions.
Questions for reflection:
- What spiritual gifts do you think you might have? How do they function alongside your talents, strengths, stills, passions, and life experience?
- What are some examples of spiritual gifts you have seen in the lives of those around you?
Bible passages for further exploration: Romans 12:4-8, Ephesians 4:11-13, Hebrews 2:1-4