Abilities (2)

We wrote yesterday about the talents, abilities, or gifts which God gives to each of his children to do his work.  I stated a couple of rules or principles which have served well for the Christian communities over the years, so let's begin by looking at those two points, then consider two more. 

1. God is never going to ask you to do something, without providing the talent and/or the resources to accomplish the task. 

2. Your spiritual gifts are just as important as the gifts of those in the body of Christ who have what we call the "big jobs" of teaching, public ministry or leading worship. 

Another principle to remember involves our practice or training in the gifts God gives us.  This could be in the form of having a mentor or teacher which can direct our spiritual development.  Paul told Timothy that we have the obligation to train ourselves to be godly.  The practice and implementation of your spiritual gift, along with the rest of the work of the whole body of Christians, will help you learn more and more about the use of your gift.  So our third principle or rule is this:

3. Since you are responsible to use the gift you have been given, properly exercising that gift will assist you in its development and use. 

Some might ask, "Is this the only gift I have or will ever have?"  There are those who are gifted in more than one area, and those who still claim to have no gift at all. From the tone of the scripture we should easily see that God is going to work in us to make us into the person we need to be, and an additional blessing comes when we recognize the gifts he gives us serve to build up the entire body.  Read Matthew 25:14-30.  From this reading I learn that none of us are going to be without a motivational gift. In addition, the next principle becomes clear.

4. The wise use of the spiritual gift you have, will bring additional gifts from God.

I realize we could not completely cover the subject of spiritual gifts in a couple of articles that leave us with 4 principles, and perhaps another time we will expand into some other teaching on gifts. For now, I continue to encourage you to spend some time with God in prayer about his work in you, his gift that he has placed within you, and especially your desire to exercise that gift. 

"For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."  Ephesians2:10

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