Today’s scripture: 1 Corinthians 12 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Linda Bernabie):
Many of us begin the year with some kind of New Year’s “resolutions.” These resolutions are usually some kind of effort to look better, feel better, or make us healthier (diet, exercise, etc.). Several years ago, a friend mine told me that he was beginning the New Year by using the Gifts that God had given him. He went on to say, “God gave me the talents and skills I was born with, the least I can do is use them to glorify God’s name. Ya know, it’s kinda like re-gifting!”
Most of us have heard of or witnessed spiritual gifts in action without realizing what we were seeing. When 1 Corinthians 12 speaks of spiritual gifts, Paul is not speaking of the gifts we find under the Christmas tree on Christmas morning, but he is speaking of gifts from the Holy Spirit such as leadership, giving, helping, teaching, administration, etc. All God’s gifts should be used to grow, strengthen, and edify the Body of Christ (i.e., the Church, God’s children). 1 Corinthians 12 also tells us that the Body cannot function without all of its parts. And YOU are all a VERY IMPORTANT part of the Body of Christ.
It is our responsibility to use our spiritual gifts to humbly serve God. As we move forward into 2015, begin using whatever spiritual gifts that you know you have to glorify God at your church, and/or for caring for those who are hungry, broken, hurting, or in need.
If you don’t know what your spiritual gifts are, then make an effort to find them! God gives them to all of us. Look for them . . . they are there! When looking for your spiritual gifts, don’t worry too much about finding a specific gift before you begin working in a ministry. The idea is to hone in on your spiritual gift as closely as you can. Then experiment! Take on a ministry at your own church, food bank, nursing home, etc. Work hard and develop your gift(s). Remember, your spiritual gift can be something as simple as being a greeter or a lawn care worker, or providing administrative help at church, or chatting with an elderly person at a day care facility.
After a short period of time, evaluate your ministry. Do you have a feeling of fulfillment? Is God providing the energy for the job by giving you extra physical, emotional, and spiritual strength while you are involved in your ministry? Do you think that you are effective? Do others say things to affirm your own evaluation? If most of the answers are yes, then you have discovered one of your spiritual gifts given to you by God. When you find and use your spiritual gifts, you will feel a sense of love, contribution, fulfillment, and purpose.
Thought for the day: Leo Buscaglia said it well, “Your Talent is God’s gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God.”
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.