Do you know that you were designed by God with purpose? You were designed with your own special passions, skills, and personality. It is no coincidence that you’re a people person… or you’re good with technology… or you love to act… or you’re really good at providing for someone’s physical needs. Those elements of who you are were placed in you by God.
The next question is, “Why?” Why would God design you in this particular way? He did it to help care for and share His love in the world. That’s right. He wants to use you to do that.
“God has created me to do Him some definite service; He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another… I have a part in a great work… I shall love as Christ loved, I shall do his work.”
John Henry Newman
1 Corinthians 12:4-6 says that we all have different gifts and work, but God is the one who distributes those gifts and works through them. Peter Englert shared an encouraging message from this passage on Sunday about spiritual gifts and using them to serve, and I encourage you to check it out. No matter if you’re currently serving or if you never have before, go back, listen to it again and take notes. Be attentive to how God guides you and tugs at your heart through that message. Dig into the passages of Scripture, answer the questions he posed, and take the Spiritual Gifts Survey. This is a great first step to serving and using the gifts God gave you.
We’ll also be talking about this during one of the breakout sessions at this Saturday’s Spiritual Formation Conference at Browncroft. I’m excited to explore with those attending how we can hone our spiritual gifts, draw closer to God, and be released to do more for Him.
Adele Ahlberg Calhoun, author of Spiritual Disciplines Handbook, says, “The Christian discipline of service is the way the world discovers the love of God. We are the way God blesses the earth.” Honestly, this is incredible and so very humbling.
If you’re looking to find a way to know and use your gift, I hope you’ll click the button below to see opportunities to serve here at Browncroft. Let’s join together and serve to show God’s love to the world!
Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash
