Respect The Gifts

I recently had a friend ask why I hadn't blogged for a few days. My answer: I don't blog everyday. I don't blog every few days. I only blog when something hits me as an urgent message that I need to blog about and broadcast. If those conditions aren't met, I don't blog. I don't want to blog for the sake of blogging about a subject. I blog with urgency and only hen I am ignited so to speak to reach others through my blog.

Anyhow-at church we are in a sermon series about Spiritual Gifts. And I've taken the spiritual gifts assessment. I'd taken one the first time two years ago. It hasn't changed drastically, however there are the same gifts that have strengthened in that time. Wow, I can say that using your gifts does refine them. They become sharper the more you use them ;-)

What I have realized after hearing the sermons and small group discussions-for me personally...I am afraid of my gifts.

While I am afraid to use them, I do use them anyway. I use them everyday! I use them regardless of being scared! So, why am I afraid of my gifts?

Most of my gifts are related to knowledge, prophecy, and communication. And with that comes so much room for error. There is so much room for human mistakes. There is so much room for people to criticize me. There is so much room for people to always pick apart what I say no matter how well I say it. And there is room for miscommunication if I were to be wreckless. I must not rely on myself and instead rely on God. And I think, why me? He needs someone smarter. He needs someone who's more experienced. Yada, yada, yada. And then I shut it. I will use them as He calls me to by seeking Him and not me. And yes-it is scary until I focus on who He is ;-) Perspective!

What I have learned for myself is that with using my gifts comes an overwhelming sense of responsibility. And I'm not simply talking about one type of responsibility. I don't mean that I ONLY have to be careful and consider each thing I write, speak, communicate in my life management and teaching, and writing in my blog or magazine. It is so much deeper than that.

I have a responsibility to USE my spiritual gifts.
I have a responsibility to use them properly.
I have a responsibility to use them wisely.
I have a responsibility to not waste them.
I have a responsibility to sharpen them.
I have a responsibility to be careful with them.
I have a responsibility to learn how to use them.
And of course, as I said earlier, I have the responsibility of thinking before speaking/writing.

If I let fear paralyze me, because of the intense responsibility I feel that accompanies the use of my gifts, I let my fears become bigger than God. Do not let your fears become bigger of God! So regardless of being unsure, fearful, and scared, I must keep using them to the best of my ability while being prayerful, while communicating and seeking guidance from God, and while using them in His Kingdom. The reason I spend so much time seeking God is so I know HOW to use them responsibly as He guides me to. I mean, how could I possibly use the equipment that God has gifted me with to play on His team, if I never knew what position on his team to play, how to play, and how to work as a team member in his Kingdom?

Knowing what your gifts are is not the end of understanding your spiritual gifts. There are responsibilities we have in using those same gifts and that knowledge comes from God. In order to know His will, we must continuously seek Him.

Oh, and I had to add this before closing:
When my kiddos get a gift and they are already talking about what they want NEXT Christmas, etc., I make sure they have taken care of the previous gifts they've gotten. I like to ask them-how did you take care of what you were already given? Did you respect it? Did you take care of it? If not, then I want them to think about why they are not satisfied with what they already have. I want them to think about adding more responsibility to what they have. Can they handle it? Do they really want it? Can they take care of it properly?

Before they talk about getting more or better gifts than what they already have, they need to think about what their role has been with the gifts they do have.

It's something helpful to us all to think about HOW we treat the gifts we have.

If we can't handle what we have and love and cherish it, why would we ask for more?