I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus. (1 Corinthians 1:4 NLT)

 

Serving the Lord is one of the greatest joys this side of Heaven. What makes it even better is that God has given each of us unique gifts to make the experience more fulfilling. And for that, we give thanks today.

 

God gives His gifts as He chooses. We don’t earn them. Some people have an ability to speak publicly. Some are better working behind the scenes. Some have business acumen. Some have athletic skills. Some have an ability to sing. Whatever your gift, God has given it for a very specific purpose. He wants you to use it for His glory and His work.

 

The apostle Paul wrote, “We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly” (Romans 12:5–8 NLT).

 

Just as each member of the human body plays an important role, so does each member of Christ’s body, the church. Your specific gifts are needed. You are needed. The work you do with your gifts facilitates the work other people do with their gifts.

 

Figuring out what you do well, what your God-given gifts are, is part of the adventure of faith. One of the best ways to do that is through the process of elimination. To find out what you’re good at, you must first find out what you’re not good at.

 

When I was seventeen, I volunteered for everything at church. I said, “I’ll do anything, whatever you want me to do.” I started with janitorial work and moved on to other areas. I quickly discovered that I was not gifted in a lot of them. But then I started finding areas where I was gifted. And I started to develop and cultivate those gifts. You develop a gift by using it, putting it into practice.

 

And then God does something truly amazing. God takes what we offer and multiplies it. He uses our gifts to work in the lives of others—to bless them, challenge them, motivate them, and bring them to Christ.

 

God has given us an important role in serving Him. He has equipped us with unique gifts and abilities that we can develop, hone, and use for the rest of our lives. He has made each of us an integral part of the body of Christ. And He multiplies our efforts in ways we can’t imagine to accomplish more than we ever dreamed possible. Let us give thanks.

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