Welcome back and Happy New Year! I hope you’ve all had an amazing Christmas and a happy and healthy start to 2023! Even though the season of “Gift-giving” is technically over, I’m happy to report that this entire series on gifts is one that could and should be carried throughout the whole year! Especially as each and every one of you will be taking your own set of unique gifts out into the world this year! You’ll be influencing lives…being salt and light to all you meet. So, If you’re still with us in this series, I’m back today and ready to dive into the mountain of influence of…. Education!

Technically, I feel like we all play a part in this sphere. And even if we haven’t been educators ourselves, we have certainly all benefitted from those who are. If you think about it, most of us have been to school in some capacity or have learned a skill or trade by watching someone else teach by example.

One of the reasons I feel education is such a vital sphere of influence is because it plays a big role in supplementing what the family does. In other words, these are the ones who (outside of family) come into direct contact with people one on one. They get to develop impactful relationships beyond those immediate family connections. Teachers, educators, mentors, counselors, nurses… (and really anyone in the medical community, too) would all be examples of those falling into the Education gifting. Yes, much of what they do is education based..but the other half of that equation is applying that knowledge or those skills and using them to pour into the lives of people young and old. These are the ones who have the opportunity to reinforce values and ideas taught within the home and even church. These are the ones who love by teaching, encouraging, serving, and healing. They share their knowledge and pour out in tangible ways.

After today’s episode, I pray you’ll reflect on those who have gone before you to teach, instruct, correct, and ultimately…to love you well. I pray you’ll recognize within yourselves the same talents and giftings cultivated by those who poured into you. If your gifts of influence are in the world of education, you’re a special one. And many of you need that reminder today, as a new year dawns. Go and serve. Teach, knowing you are making more of an impact than you could imagine. God has equipped you for a time such as this.