(Don Hay)
Today I want you to think about SPIRITUAL GIFTS within the context of the Spiritual Disciplines that we’ve been studying. Many lengthy explanations of spiritual gifts have been made by theologians much smarter than me, so I won’t attempt another here. Suffice it to say that spiritual gifts are based on the biblical idea that:
A) God has made you for a purpose (Eph. 4:11-13).
B) When you give your life to Christ he gives you his Spirit as a seal of your future in heaven (2 Cor. 1:21-22)
C) Through the Holy Spirit, God gives you power to live for Him today as you pursue the acts of service that God has prepared in advance for you to do (Eph. 2:10).
Spiritual Gifts are the divinely acquired tools that enable you to be God’s hands and feet in this world. They are unique, God-given pieces that you intentionally invest toward accomplishing God’s work around you. In other words, your acts of service, when done according to your individual gifting, is God’s supernatural thumbprint on this world.
By now I hope you’re asking, “So what about spiritual disciplines?” Great question! I was able to attend the A.W. Tozer workshop with Dr. Lyle Dorsett a few weeks back and he really inspired me as he spoke about God’s Spirit in our lives. One of his points was that our service for the Lord must always flow out of our awe and adoration for the Father. Without an active AWE of God’s character and ADORATION for who he is our SERVICE is empty. The spiritual disciplines that we’ve all been learning about are essential because they represent our efforts toward arranging the habits of our days to better position us to realize and respond with AWE and ADORATION to God by offering our unique “wiring” to his service.
It’s not enough to learn—we must act. How are specific spiritual disciplines equipping you to leave God’s thumbprint on the lives of those around you? I’d love your thoughts about how you experience God in living out your spiritual gifts!
3 comments:
Through my use of the encouragement spiritual gift, I see God interacting with me as I see others comment and smile from my words. And seeing how God's insights are formed into my written thoughts inspires me as well.
Remember too, Scott, that your genuine concern for others and willingness to intercede in prayer is a gift. I will never forget when you prayed for me during a trying time in my life and the results that followed. Thank you. Kent
Encouragement is truly a gift in some believers. (Thank you Scott!) Whether it is through enouragement, intercessional prayer, giving, teaching God's word, wisdom, or spiritual discernment, God does truly work through us when we allow Him to. I've seen it in my own life many times.
Pastor Don is right about taking action. It reminds me of James 2:17.
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