Gifts

Mention the word gift and I bet most people's thoughts turn to Birthday or Christmas memories. But, when I think of gifts, I think of God.

In I Corinthians, Paul offers a list of spiritual gifts that God has gifted to the body of Christ, that is, the church. Every member of Christ's church has already received a spiritual gift to be used for serving others in the glory of God. Discovering that gift can be a real challenge though. Just ask anyone how God has gifted them to serve and you may find someone with a puzzled look on their face. I have begun to see that we do a very poor job helping people to discover those gifts.

Too often, the church has "jobs" that need to be done and any warm body who is able to work is chosen to fill the position. Unfortunately, there are many times that we often fill round holes with square pegs. Unfortunately, both the outcome of the job and the person trying to do that job are stifled by the poor fit.

Last night, I had the opportunity to witness the result of a task done by a person whose gifts have been embraced by the commuity and where she has been empowered to use them for God's glory! When Michelle started to share her vision for our church's 50th anniversary party, there were a few skeptics about what she had in mind. But she had a vision and she came up with a plan! Lack of funding didn't hold this woman back! Using her gift of hospitality, she hosted one of the best nights our congregation has ever experienced. She found a way to make it happen and we even raised a little more than a hundred extra dollars to add to our growing "Fuel for the elderly fund."

How wonderful it is when God's gifts are recognized and used for God's glory!