READ: ROMANS 12:6-8; 1 CORINTHIANS 12:1-12; 1 TIMOTHY 4:12-14

Have you ever had a teacher, mentor, or parent speak into your life in a way that you will always remember? When I was a junior in high school, I was struggling with anxiety following an event that happened at school. It was a dark time in my life. I was feeling lonely, scared, and overwhelmed. Worst of all, I was feeling distant from God.

A few weeks after this event, my Spanish teacher took me aside after class one day. She told me she had noticed me struggling these past few weeks. And she felt like God had put it on her heart to share something with me. She believed that the Holy Spirit had gifted me in the area of listening. And that I would continue to use this to serve others and bring joy to God.

Before this moment, I had never thought that listening could be a gift from God. But then I realized that even in the midst of trials, I could use my God-given gifts to draw closer to Him. The way that I listened to other people’s stories became a way to honor God. Listening with empathy and humility could be a gift to my neighbors to reflect God’s love to them.

God has given each of us unique gifts, and it is a great source of joy to be able to use those gifts to honor Him. Some of us have been given gifts such as wisdom, service, and generosity. These gifts, as well as many others, can be used to live out our calling to share God’s love by being Christlike in our thoughts, words, and deeds. Whether you realize it or not, God has created you uniquely and beautifully in His image (Genesis 1:27). And whether you feel gifted or not, God can and will work through your life for His good purposes. • Emily McDonough

• Before Jesus came, the Spirit of God gave some people special aptitude for craftmanship or superhuman strength (Exodus 35:30–36:5; Judges 14:5-6). Then, after Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, God the Father sent God the Holy Spirit to live inside everyone who puts their trust in Jesus. Every believer is given at least one spiritual gift, and we can find lists of these gifts in Romans 12:6-8 and 1 Corinthians 12. God has also given us our own unique personalities and natural abilities, and He often works through these as well. How has God gifted you? How could you use your giftedness to show His love to others this week?

• Have you noticed any gifts from God revealed in others? How can you encourage these people and speak into what you’ve witnessed in their lives?

God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. 1 Peter 4:10 (NLT)