Tag: Authorized King James Version

Christ is Our Life

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“ When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” Colossians 3:4

Presence is powerful and so is present. He whose presence is presently with you is our powerful force to lean upon through life’s challenges and adversities.

When I hear the word “is,” I see it as a fact, and I see it as present, whatever is being referred to.  Reading in the first part of Colossians 3:4, the words, “Christ, who is our life…” stuck out to me, begging me to do a further investigation because “Christ is our life”, is #1, a fact, and #2, the reality of it is very true right now.

Often, the threatening tides that arise from storms in this life have a way of overwhelming people.  But when people are secure in truth, how much better they will be when riding through the uncertainties of life?

Because situations and circumstances may entertain thoughts of uncertainty, there is one thing we can be rock solid sure of, and that is if you are a believer in Christ, and your life is hidden with Him (Colossians 3:3), then He is fact and presently your life today.  There is no variance in this truth.  There are no ifs and buts.  Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life…” (John 14:6).  He is our life!

This is so important for us to get into our hearts.  We will not escape this life without being challenged by hurts, pain, disappointments, and trials.  Jesus assured us they will come (John 16:33; see also 1 Peter 4:12).  It is what we decide to do with them that matters.  It is the filter we use to process them that will make all the difference.

I must confess, I am an avid coffee drinker.  Through my years of enjoying this simple pleasure, I have had incidents with certain filters that tried to ruin the experience of my morning cup.  These filters didn’t strain the coffee in the way I was accustomed to.  Which is but one of the reasons I normally don’t order coffee out.  I, 99% of the time (give or take), will make my own because I am very specific about how I want my cup to taste (admittedly, I do pack a coffee machine and coffee in my luggage when I travel because I want to make it myself, the way I like it).

For our lives and the challenges we face, we need to be even more specific.  Our filter of choice matters because it will help you to clear out what is not true so that you can enjoy the pureness of what is.  Knowing that Christ is our life, allowing that truth to separate fact from fiction, will help us to endure challenging times because it is not only again, fact, but it also assures us it is our present truth.

In the middle of hardships, both things are difficult to see and remember.  Troubles can be like walking through thick fog where it’s challenging to see clearly, so you become disoriented about the truth of your position.  But again, Jesus speaks, “I am the way, the truth, and the life…”

He is our life.  That’s our position now that we are in Him.  Everything we hope for today and tomorrow in the believer’s life is founded and based upon the truth that Jesus Christ is our Lord.  He is the filter through which we must process every experience, every high and low.  The Apostle Paul verified this by saying, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). 

Because of what Christ has done on the cross.  Because of this life of faith that we now are secured in – everything, every challenge, every adversity, has Christ as our filter because He is our life.  Whatever speaks against that ultimate truth is a lie.

If you have had the experience of being saved and making Jesus Christ Lord of your life, then yes, you may still face difficult days, but what those days appear like will not always be how it is.  The Bible tells us, “When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory” (Colossians 3:4). 

We can stand boldly today because we know upon Whom we stand: Jesus, the Savior of our life and our soul.  Let Him be the light you look to, and the hope you rest upon every day. 

“For in him we live, and move, and have our being…” (Acts 17:28).  “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.  And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power” (Colossians 2:9, 10). 

Jesus is the answer for our salvation, our help, our healing, our worries, and our woes (John 3:16; Acts 4:12; Philippians 4:6-7; Matthew 4:23-24; Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Peter 5:7; John 14:1; Matthew 11:28-30).  He is our life and the unshakable hope upon which we stand.  That is a right now fact.

“And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.” – 1 John 5:11

“For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.” – Romans 5:17

“In him was life; and the life was the light of men.” – John 1:4

“Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.” – John 14:19

“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” – John 10:10

“He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” – 1 John 5:12

“But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” – John 20:31

Porch Moments

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At the time of this writing, I have a sink full of dishes waiting for me to tend to them.  Normally my routine is to stay caught up on chores such as these, but this day, I decided the dishes could wait.

As we are coming down to the end of the warmer season, I have felt the drive in me to make sure I grab bits of it to savor before it all goes to sleep for the winter.  So sometimes, things I want done, according to my normal routine, can wait because the days of enjoying lounging with a book on the porch are going to be fewer, and then down to none, the closer we draw deeper into the changing seasons.

And that’s okay.  The book of Ecclesiastes tells us about a time for everything and of the different seasons under the sun (Ecclesiastes 3:1-13).  Everything has its proper place in our lives, including the enjoyment of grabbing these small, but significant moments. 

As we are coming into what I call our “tucking in” time, and as the days of their cold seem to hang around well past their prime, we will yearn and wish for these “porch moments”.  We will plan, dream, and look forward to revisiting these simple pleasures of life.

While each season brings its own pleasures and reasons for gratefulness, the ones we can’t touch during that time are the ones we ponder about, wishing we had grabbed more of those momentary pleasures.

Life really adds up to something beautiful when we find the value in every day we have been given, regardless of the season.  But while we are here, enjoy what’s before you today.  Invest in the time you have with those you love and spend time with them now.

It is inevitable that the seasons of life will change.  So today, step into whatever your “porch moment” is and enjoy the gift of that present time that God has blessed you with.

Life is not all about work, pursuing, or being all that you can be.  Those are important and have their place on our schedules.  But so do rest, and just taking a free moment to breathe, step back, and enjoy this beautiful life God has given.  We are here.  Look up from your work – not to be lazy or idle, but to make space in it all to simply savor your own “porch moment”, whatever it may look like.  For one day, you’ll wish you had.

There is good to be found in every moment God has given.

“I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.  And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.” – Ecclesiastes 3:12-13

“There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.” – Ecclesiastes 2:24

“Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.” – Ecclesiastes 8:15

“The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.” – Psalm 126:3

“This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” – Psalm 118:24

“I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” – Psalm 27:13

Isn’t life good?

Staying Open to the Sound of the Savior | 4 Steps to Implement Today

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Open communication is one of the keys to a healthy relationship. What many of us forget is that communication is a two-way street between the one who is speaking and the one who is listening. Or, supposed to be listening…

Years ago, I was in a conversation with someone.  Admittedly, I unintentionally tuned out at one point during our talking.  I wasn’t trying to be rude, nor was there a lack of interest in the conversation.  It was just one of those moments, probably due to exhaustion of the day, where I momentarily glazed over and responded to what I heard without really knowing what was being said.

Imagine my embarrassment when my friend turned to me and said, “You didn’t hear what I just said, did you?”

I had to admit that I had not and apologized to her for my lack of proper attention.

But I must ask, how attentive are we when Jesus is speaking?  Have we familiarized ourselves so much with Him, with His Word, that we have become almost complacent and desensitized upon hearing it?  Like a teenager rolling their eyes over a mother’s request to clean their room again?

As His people, His sheep, we above all others should be very interested in the words of our Lord.  Mary was, and she planted herself at His holy feet in anticipation of what He would say next (Luke 10:39).

Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice . . .” (John 10:27).  They know Him and are known of Him.  They are tuned into His heart and the words that flow from there. 

Others around may not believe.  Naysayers and the world may not be interested in hearing what He says.  But when His voice speaks, our ears and our hearts need to be receptive to His truths.

In our age, people have made themselves susceptible and open to many things, doctrines, and voices.  But our relationship and closeness to the Lord should want more.  More than what others seek.  And more than a quick fix or a drive-thru Sunday sermon.

The intimacy we have in knowing Him and being known by Him should keep the ears of our hearts in ready anticipation of Him speaking.  Stay open, my friend, to the sound of the Savior.  Stay receptive to His voice, because what He says is always in line with the Father (John 12:49-50).  When He opens His mouth, it is never frivolous but always with the purpose of teaching, exhorting, healing, delivering, and so much more.  When His voice is heard, it is to guide us, as our Good Shepherd, through our days, our decisions, and our destiny in Him. 

So, how do we get better at staying open to the sound of the Savior?  Here are a few steps you can begin to implement today.

  1. Prioritize what you allow in the hearing of your space throughout the day.  Everything you hear is not good for you.  As much as depends on you, you can choose to filter what you willingly listen to.  Not only are we encouraged in Philippians 4:8 about what to think on, but God’s Word in general stands as the ultimate filter to the noise that tries to enter our space daily.  We do not have to entertain contrary speech. Tune in to what is truly important and tune out what is not.
  2. Give opportunity and make room for His speaking.  Position yourself with the opportunity in mind that I want to hear from Him.  Whether through His Word, sermons, or other means, we are welcoming His voice in the environment of our daily living.  In our hurried world that is cluttered with all kinds of noise, it is our responsibility to make sure that we have quiet time to do just what Mary did, and that was to just sit at His feet and listen.
  3. Hear not only with your ears or through the words you read on the page but hear with your heart.  Many can hear but do not perceive.  Many heard Jesus speak audibly in the crowds but the words He spoke were never ingested into their very being, causing Him to say, “Who hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matthew 13:9).  Like in the parable of the Sower, the soil of their hearts, the place that nurtures the seed/word, must be good ground and receptive (Matthew 13:3-23).  Jesus speaks for challenge and for change, but none of it will do any good if the listener is not willing to take it in and recognize it for the truth that it is.  
  4. Steward His words well.  When you hear, what do you do next?  When it is taken in, see how this applies to you now or in your present circumstance.  What is the takeaway?  What can you do with what you have heard?  Jesus never speaks with the intention of His words being placed on the shelf like a forgotten piece of beautiful artwork.  It is to be used, applied and lived out in one’s life.  He said, “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock” (Matthew 7:24).   

Friends, what Jesus speaks is for the instructing and building of our lives.  He said, “The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63).  Stay open to His voice, receive what He says, and follow Him. The voice of the Shepherd is calling out to you today.

More articles of interest to help you on your journey to better hear from the Savior:

“Tuning In and Tuning Out”

“Doers of the Word” 

“Are We There Yet?”

“Jesus Teaches His Followers”

“When the Father Speaks”

“A Good Steward”

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“And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability…” Matthew 25:15

So often when one speaks of the idea of stewardship the mind automatically travels down the road to finances. The overall idea of finances and stewardship has been linked together for ages, even since the Bible times – and that’s a correct assessment. I want us to look beyond the management of “talents,” looking rather to talents. Huh!

Well, we have the Bible definition to deal with and then we have our English definition. Talents in the Bible refer to 3,000 shekels of silver while one’s talent in the English refers to that special something that God had planted on the inside of each of us. That skill or ability that comes so naturally, it just flows from one’s being. I think the idea of stewardship or being a manager can nicely encompass those God-given delectables on the inside of each of us.

I really think it is something special that God created these two words, though spelled the same, yet have different meanings, and then, gave a management directive over both of them. Paul charged Timothy and said, “Neglect not the gift that is in thee,” (1 Timothy 4:14). Paul knew that God had bestowed something amazing on the inside of this young man, yet, if it were going to prosper and flourish in him, he would have to pay careful attention to guard it.

Ask any gardener about the care that they take of their land once the seed has been planted. There are many steps to ensure growth. Just as with Adam in the Garden of Eden, God has planted the seed but has given each of us the charge to nurture it. That’s what stewardship is all about. Being careful to manage the thing/gift that God has put me in charge of.

Do you know how much the world needs the unique stuff that God has placed inside you? There can be a million preachers. There can be a million teachers. There can be a million givers. There can be a million ushers, janitors, authors, or whatever! There can be a million of anything that can be fathomed, but nobody can do it like YOU!

You are special. You are unique. Stop hiding your talents, your skills, that special something that God put in you. Stop burying it (Matthew 25:18). Rather do as Paul instructed Timothy and pay careful attention to it. Do what you have to do to cause that seed that God planted in you to grow to the point that it is flourishing on the outside of you. Then, the whole body of Christ can profit from that great gift in you.

“As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same
one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God,”
1 Peter 4:10.

 

A Matthew 6:30 Promise | Words to Live By

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Caring for someone is not a trivial thing. The importance of one’s love for you can be felt in what they do for you and by the words and the way they speak over you. The Father’s care for us can be experienced by both. In our daily lives, we see His love manifested in myriad ways. And in His Word, we read what He thinks of us and how important we are to Him. In Matthew 6:30, Jesus confirms this by telling us, “Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?” You cannot begin to understand how important you are to God, just trust that you are. And the daily things that concern us are not a worry in the heart of the Father. “He’s got you!” Those words are not just another casual phrase to be tossed about. They are words of promise you can stand upon in faith today!

Then and Now | Christ is the Mediator of the New Covenant

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Although I am not the greatest at it, I really do try not to waste.  I am a saver.  Sometimes to my own detriment.  Admittedly, I hold on to things probably much longer than I should.  At times, the truth of it will show up in clutter, confusion, and mess.  There are times when we must be willing to let go of the old to make space for and welcome the new.

There are various reasons we cling to the things of our past.  Some are sentimental or have historical value to us.  Some reasons can revolve around more.  But whatever the reason, one thing I am slowly learning is, that if it is not serving a purpose in the day and time I am currently living in, I must categorize its usefulness and see if it is something I am going to choose to actively hang on to or if I need to trash, donate, or keep (but have it stored somewhere out of my everyday space). 

Old things have their place.  Whether it was in things that served us for a time or in experiences we lived through, but to mature and find greater peace in the space of your life right now, they must be kept in their proper place and that place may not look like what it used to look like or serve the way we were used to being served by it.

Spiritually speaking, we see the truth of this from the Hebrew writer when he was explaining the differences between the old and the new covenants.  There was a future designed for the people of God that some could not yet fathom, therefore they desired to hold on to the old way of connecting and relating to God. 

But what Galatians 3:23-25 teaches us is, “Before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.  Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.  But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.”  The law was only a tutor for a time, showing our need for a Savior, showing us how to live in anticipation of what Christ would wholly fulfill in His person through His death, burial, and resurrection.

With that being revealed and accomplished, what now has come, and how one’s relationship with God would transpire from here on out, would be much different, but better.  For what was coming was no longer going to deal with the letter of the law, but the relationship we would have with our heavenly Father would be from the position of a transformed heart (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 8:10).  This heart transformation would be spawned from the finished work of Jesus Christ, on the cross.

In Hebrews 12:18-21, the writer teaches from the history of their previous experience, explaining, “For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more: (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)”.

This was a “that was then” moment.  Thinking back, he recalls through their history that it was two months after God delivered the children of Israel, He brought them to Mount Sinai.  Upon their arrival, they were given very specific commands to follow because life and death depended upon it.  During the time of His visitation, if any attempted to look at God or break through the boundaries that were set up to protect the perimeter of the mount, that individual would be killed.  Even if a beast of any sort were to touch the mount where the manifested presence of God would make Himself known, it too was to be killed.  No exceptions.

The thunder and lightning, along with the sound of the trumpet that blasted to signal their approach to the mount, and the blackness and the voice of words, all made the event very terrifying for the people.  Their request was that Moses would be the intermediary between God and man; that Moses would hear the instructions that were coming from the mouth of God and relay them to the people.  The awesomeness of God’s manifested presence on that mountain was just too much to bear. 

At one point, even Moses himself, a man who would meet with God up close and personal, “face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friends” (Exodus 33:11), was described at this event as saying, “I exceedingly fear and quake” (Hebrews 12:21).  God’s power that showed forth on that mount was terrifying to behold for sure.

Moses and the representation of the Mosaic Law had its time and there were currently still teachers of it in operation (Acts 15:21), but let’s talk about the now of the new.

In this “now moment,” God has a new covenant, a new mount experience, with a new intermediary in place.  It is not based on the event portrayed at Mount Sinai.  He wasn’t looking for ordinances written on stone as the old covenant was, but a spiritual difference in the heart of mankind that would lead one to heaven through the new covenant established through Jesus Christ.

In Hebrews 12:22-24 he further explains, “But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.”

This is now where our access to God lies, in the faith, hope, and grace afforded to us through the new covenant, through the blood of Jesus Christ, which is spiritual.  Not in the old system or order of doing things that were contingent on coming to God through the outward conformity of the law which is physical.  Now our access through Jesus Christ brings us to the place where God is in heaven.

He, Jesus, is the mediator of the new covenant (see also Revelation 14:1). And if heaven is your goal, then Jesus is the way there.  While on earth Jesus spoke, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me,” (John 14:6).  The only way to get to where God is, is through the door of Jesus Christ Himself; through accepting Him as Savior (John 10:9).  There is no other way around it.  The old way is obsolete and no longer in effect.  Mount Sinai stood to symbolize the old covenant while Mount Sion stood to symbolize the new.  Jesus is the way to the new.

When Jesus died on the cross, He not only became the Author of the new covenant, but He became the mediator, the go-between of God and man.  He stood in the gap that we would have fallen into that leads to eternal death.  But through His death, through Him as the new covenant and mediator of our faith, we cross over the gap that sin caused and follow Him to eternal life.  He is the way, “For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father,” (Ephesians 2:18; see also Romans 5:2).  Jesus is the bridge that leads us to our heavenly home.

Jesus is our only hope that draws us near to the Father.  Fear of the quaking, thunderous mountain is not there.  But a welcoming receptivity of new life and reconciliation that only love in its truest form can bring is now what we get to experience. That past mount, we could not go to and touch, but today, because of what now is established through Jesus, we have a Savior who has come and touched us.  The beauty of His nearness is extraordinary, and the experience of what He has done is like no other.  The new has overtaken the old.  While the old was good for its time and place, the new is better.  The culmination of everything we need to spiritually succeed can be found in Christ Jesus alone, with no added additions.  

Heal

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Scabs were a fascination for me in my youth. I had a bad habit where right when the healing would be almost complete, I would pick at the scab and pick at it again until it reopened, prohibiting it from properly healing in a timely fashion.

In life, we can find ourselves doing the same thing with the hurts of all nature. And as easy as it is to pick, we can choose to leave it alone and let God do what He does best.

Allow for healing. What bitterness is so precious that we fight to hold on to it? What hurt must we keep rehearsing in our mind that we won’t let go of it? Allowing these to take up precious space in our hearts will not make room for His healing to take place when we can let it go and trust God with the outcome. Continually nursing all the wrongs prohibits the growth of all that is good.

We choose what we strengthen: bitterness and hurt or good and healing. We have the choice to bring into greater focus the things that will help us overcome those tumultuous thoughts or keep us bound in them. “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (Philippians 4:8).

Where your mind and your thinking lead, the heart will follow. Follow those beautiful things that lead to healing. Why let that which is corrupt ruin your day, your week, your life?

No one can understand like you what your heart is feeling (Proverbs 14:10). No one can discredit the hurt one has experienced. At the same time, no one but you can refuse to sit in the pity party, celebrating the misery.

Allow for healing. Bring all the heaviness of heart, all those things that speak against wholeness and recovery, all the hurt to Jesus, who promises that in Him, we will find rest for our souls (Matthew 11:29; read Matthew 11:28-30).

Why suffer as one who has no help? Jesus is your help for healing, and He is waiting to lead you into complete restoration. He is the cure for whatever you are holding onto, and He is the cure for whatever you are going through.

Focus your heart on what is good, and don’t leave Jesus out of the healing process. There is not an infirmity He hasn’t faced and experienced (Hebrews 4:15).

He knows how much it hurts, but He also knows how to bring about wholeness. “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). Come, that you may be healed.

Letting go of bitterness and hurt – sometimes it is easier said than done. But when we do, we allow for God’s healing to come and saturate our souls.

It’s in You!

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When God puts a gift, a seed of talent in you, whether you feel particularly inspired or not, the gift in you demands to be heard, noticed, and shared with the world.

It’s just like that.  In each of us there dwell the possibilities that He knows you can do something with it.

We are good ground and from it we want to bear much fruit. The world needs what grows from the soil of you.

“You, my friend, are the soil to His good gift and it must grow.”

The Value of You | A Treasure in God’s Eyes

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You have a remarkably distinctive treasure inside of you, and it’s the you God created you to be.

My friend, don’t you know how beautiful you are to our Heavenly Father? Not because of what’s on the outside, but the treasure that makes you uniquely you on the inside.

You are a created original.

Valued and precious, and God is in love with you.

“How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!” Psalm 139:17.

God Knows Your Importance | Word For Life Says

Contrastingly Beautiful | Appreciating the Differences of Spiritual Gifts

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“But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.” 1 Corinthians 12:7

There is a beautiful thing in the body of Christ called diversity. And yes, when we hear that word typically our minds are drawn to the notion of race, ethnicity, background, and the like. Believe me, those things DO make the body of Christ uniquely beautiful, and we will see the full culmination of that when we get to heaven.

But to help usher people toward that goal of reaching those heavenly doors, and to teach, assist, and encourage the saints along the way, variety in the form of spiritual gifts are very vital.

Working together in unison with His Spirit and one another for Kingdom purposes means that one does not have to shoulder the weight of every gift upon oneself. Rather, as doctors are in areas of specific studies, there are special areas endowed with special abilities from high. The beauty is, as a community of believers we have all the gifts of His Spirit in operation to benefit the body as a whole, lacking nothing, regardless of who is the one carrying the gift.

Spiritual gifts are never to be the source of contention and division. Every gift, regardless of the name or manifestation you attach to it, comes from the same Spirit, the same Lord, the same God (1 Corinthians 12:4-6).

It’s not about who gets to do what, or who is recognized for this and that, or whose gift seems to be “greatest.” It is all about what are we doing with what God gave us? How are we pooling our resources to help people and to help further increase His Kingdom?

First Peter 4:10, 11 instructs us, saying, “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”

This means all gifts given are with the purpose that we “minister” or serve one another with the end result “that God in all things may be glorified.”

This is a concept Paul had to explain to the Corinthian church, who allowed divisiveness to enter over the topic of spiritual giftings. Paul explained to the church the different varieties of gifts, the value of all gifts given, and their intended purpose, which was for the benefit of all (read 1 Corinthians 12:1-11).

In 1 Corinthians 12:7, he wrote, “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal”, reiterating the way the Spirit manifests or reveals His working through individuals by their gifting is to “profit withal.” The advancement of God’s business, and the church as a whole, should benefit from what He has blessed inside each of us.

We are a part of His plan to make a difference in the lives of others. Each of us has something special within us that is never meant to be buried, hidden, or kept for ourselves. One should not want to go through life without the world benefiting from that spiritual treasure inside you. Take the bold approach and unearth it. Put it out there for all to partake in.

And whatever you do, don’t use it as some sort of measuring rod to compare with others. We have different gifts for a reason. Where I am strong, I can do my part to help minister to those around me.

Where I am weak, I cannot not only lean upon another, but I can help send others who have needs to be fulfilled in that direction to get the specific help they need.

Doing this makes us good stewards of the gifts. This is beautiful, because hand in hand, and heart with heart, like Nehemiah and the people building the wall, we are all working in unison together on our individual part to build up and finish the work (Nehemiah 3-4).

You, my friend, are gifted, and your gift is needed in this work. Let us not fight or become discouraged over the gifts but let us build together using them.

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