Gifts for others

Chapter 5: Investing Your Time, Talents, and Treasure

Have you ever received a gift, and immediately thought of someone else it would bless- maybe even more than you receiving it has?

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” — 1 Peter 4:10

God never intended stewardship to be limited to finances. True stewardship means recognizing that everything we have—our time, our abilities, our energy, our homes, our words—belongs to Him.

1 Peter 4:10-11:  "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ".

Read Romans 12 and consider with me, how this looks in your home and as you interact with others at church, in your community, and work.  Are you self-aware of the atmosphere you are setting?  Are you expressing the gifts God's given you with generosity and thanksgiving? 

Romans 12:6-8:  "Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness".

It's important to keep in mind that when we have the Holy Spirit working in us, we are not delegated just one gift, but we have them in different measure according to our faith.  Our proportion or someone else's looks different in our sanctifying journey.  The conversation is not just about judging what gifts people have, but the measure of them.  Whatever our gifting and in whatever proportion, we are to express and utilize them to glorify God and exhort each other.  We are each responsible for exercising our own faith muscles, and not comparing with others.

Notice two important words in the Romans 12 chapter, "let him".  This was revolutionary for me as I considered my husband.  While I wanted him to meet all our needs (and wants) in our home, and I love every moment we have with him: his gifts are not for just us, and every opportunity he gets to exercise his gifts will grow his faith.  Therefore, if he gets invited to do something at church, or somewhere that he is able to make an impact for Christ (not for me to judge), my answer is "yes".  I must "let him" if I want him to grow.  Likewise, I need to take every opportunity to develop and grow what God is doing in me, and allow my children to grow as they watch and engage.  

It's not all about me or our family.  

Learning to see opportunities, and how God can use us, is being His ambassador.  His children know His voice and will follow Him; we must "let" them.  (John 10:27)  As our faith and belief becomes action, we will see and do even greater things than we could have imagined.  (John 14:12)  

If we think we lack, we must consider what we are "letting" in our family.  Is it honoring God, or ourselves?  Are we quick to hear His voice and say "yes, I come with plenty, for you have given me plenty."

Read Ephesians 4 & 5, and reflect on your new creation.  Verse 22 reminds us to "put off our old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful  desires (lies that make us look inward, selfishly); to be make new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness."

This is followed by what we must "not let" penetrate our thoughts and actions, and how we are to live out the Glory of Christ in us.

When you said yes to adoption, you probably felt like you had something to offer.  You must return to the One who put that in your heart for it to grow and continue to develop.  You didn’t just open your home to a child; you opened your life to a new season of ministry: your impact is to multiply. God entrusted you with souls beyond the ones in your home, stories He wants you to share, and gifts that He plans to use for His Kingdom.

Keep returning to Him, whatever you were, whatever you might be struggling with, He wants you to believe Him for more.  As you walk in this belief, your children, for whom you said "yes" to being part of their rescue plan, will get to experience redemption in your family.

And the beauty of it all?  You will see transformation, as He multiplies what you trust Him with.