Spiritual Gifts

I am truly blessed. I live on a wooded lot out in the country. There are all kinds of trees in my woods……oak, hickory, sassafras, walnut and many more. Some are spectacular. Some are just plain Jane. The plainest of the lot…….is the maple tree. It just sits there filling up space……..for 51 weeks a year. But, for one week a year, every fall, it turns a brilliant red , yellow, or orange. For that one week a year……..the maple is the king of the woods. That one week is God’s gift to the maple tree…….and the maple tree’s gift to me.

So what does this have to do with spiritual gifts?

You may see yourself as an ordinary Christian……nothing special……..just another maple tree. But, the Bible is very clear, you too have a spiritual gift. You may not have identified it. It may not have manifested itself yet. But, make no mistake, it is there. Some gifts are obvious and those who have them are widely celebrated. Think of Billy Graham and his gift for evangelism. Other gifts are much less obvious: wisdom, encouragement, support for others, the ability to tithe…. and the greatest gift of all……..love. Some gifts are active…….some are latent. Your gift could be pre-directed at one specific person…….perhaps someone you have not yet met……or may never meet. Some day you may interact with that someone and change their life….. for the better. You may never even know you did it. My wife Cindy has an amazing gift……..she cares…….deeply……..about just about everybody.

So, you have been given a gift……. by God no less. I have to believe that he took that gift seriously. So you too should take it seriously. God is not wasteful. I have to believe that he intends for you to use his gift…….your gift. If you can identify your gift and cultivate it…….like Billy Graham…..fabulous. If your gift is latent or directed at someone specific, it will be harder. Know this…..when it is time to use your gift……it will be comfortable, it will be natural, it will feel good, and you will be good at it. It will jive with rules one and two……love God….love man. And finally, when you walk away from the encounter……..you will glow………because you will have done exactly what you were created to do.

The best example of exercising a latent spiritual gift that I know occurred in a prison. A prisoner shared Jesus with another prisoner. The first prisoner was beaten to death a few hours later. His words stuck and the second prisoner became a Christian. He wrote several books, one of which helped to destroy the Soviet Union. His name……Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.

So, whether your gift is obvious or latent, know that it is there. Be ready to use it. And the best way to be ready is to study the Bible and pray.

I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your old men shall dream dreams,
and your young men shall see visions.

Jesus, ESV

Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

Paul, ESV