“A man’s gift maketh room for him and bringeth him before great men.”
Good morning, leaders.
Embracing the right mindset about your gifts is crucial to making a meaningful difference as a leader. As leaders, understanding your gift and what to do with your gift is critical to your impact on the lives of those you serve.
THE TWO GREATEST DAYS OF YOUR LIFE ARE THE DAY YOU WERE BORN AND THE DAY YOU FIND OUT WHY.
There’s real danger in thinking your spiritual gifts are blessings God gave you for your benefit. This self-centered viewpoint makes you see your gift as an option or luxury you can neglect or use at will. I’ve found this is a critical misunderstanding from a biblical perspective, which sees our spiritual gifts as expressions of gratitude that God wills us to use in service to others.
The Bible teaches that God gives us spiritual gifts so we can give to others (I Corinthians chapters 12-14). We use our gifts to continue Christ’s work on the earth. The apostle Paul wrote: A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church. His point: your gifts aren’t your possessions. Yes, they’ve been entrusted to you, but they belong to the community of believers. To take it a step further, our spiritual gifts are given to us so we can serve the world we live in. Serving in homes, jobs, communities, and ministries all require our gifts from the Lord.
THE SCRIPTURES CAN HELP YOU OBTAIN A BASELINE UNDERSTANDING OF YOUR GIFT.
So, what are your spiritual gifts? Not sure? Read the Bible’s teaching on spiritual gifts in (Bible Chapters Romans 12, I Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4). Then ask yourself where you've felt the greatest satisfaction serving the Lord. Carefully thinking through that question will clarify this issue: when you do what you love to show God’s love, you’ll find spiritual fulfillment and renewal. A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other – (I Corinthians 12:7).
God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another (I Peter 4:10). Everyone has a gift and is valuable. When we see the gift and value in others, we enable them to become more aware of it. Seeing this precious potential in others also helps us become more aware of our own. Psychiatrist and author David Viscott proclaimed, “The purpose of life is to discover your gift. The meaning of life is to give your gift away. It’s time to discover your life purpose and give it to others.
POINT TO PONDER,
Always remember today’s reading passage (Proverbs 18:16), Your gift will make room for you and place you before great men. For God's sake, family, let’s get moving; time waits for no one. What are you waiting for? Learn more about your gift. Please note that it’s your gift that will make room: not a person, a connection, etc. You are responsible for cultivating and nurturing your God-given gift.
· Why do you think the Lord gave you a gift?
· Do you know what your gift is?
· What is your purpose in life?
· Do you know the meaning of life?
· How do you share your gift with others?
SPECIAL THANKS,
Chief Encouragement Officer (CEO) James Baker, Jr., and our leadership team are incredibly thankful to those aligned with us. Help us equip this generation of leaders for their God-given assignments. Your generous donation supports our labor of love: From Grace and Truth Leadership's mission to embrace, empower, and encourage leaders and emerging leaders globally.
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