God has given each one of us gifts; in James chapter 1 verse 16 it says ‘do not be deceived my beloved brethren, every good gift, and every perfect gift is from above.’
The gifts in this passage are from above, they are from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. As we continue reading we see that the Father of lights ‘chose to give us through the word of truth that we might be a kind of first fruit of all He created.’
How do we identify the gifts the Father of light is talking about? Would you say it is spiritual gifts or are they our natural gifts?
Spiritual:
If these gifts are spiritual then we are reminded of the gifts in Romans 12 verse 6 through 8. These are gifts of prophecy, service, teachers, encourages, giving with generosity, leads with diligence, someone with mercy and cheerfulness. And in the Book of Ephesians Chapter 4 verse 7 through 16. These gifts are Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers.
Natural:
In the natural world do you believe God would place special and unique gifts and talents onto your life? Do you believe God has gifted you in such a way that it will fulfill the purpose He has for your life? My daughter always talks about ‘her movie’; meaning the people that are currently in her live whom will feature in her movie. These people I believe are gifts from God. What about the gift of living which reminds me of Romans Chapter 6 verse 23 which says ‘the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ and the gift of breath which is found in Job 27 verse 3 For as long as life is in me, And the breath of God is in my nostrils,’
Let’s not lose sight of how awesome our God really is. To have gifted each one of us with the necessary gifts we have right now. I am sure there are many other gifts you can think about.
Gifts from above:
Remember that every good gift and every perfect gift is from above. The Father of lights literally has given each one of us specific gifts. Who is the Father of lights? Well, it must be obvious, the Sun, the Moon and also the Stars. Everything in the Universe relates to the Father of Lights, God is omnipotent and omnipresent.
I believe we underestimate what God has placed on our lives, how He has set us up to fulfill the purpose He has called us to.
Healing
I am reminded of a passage in Mark Chapter 9 from verse 14 through to 26. It tells of Jesus dealing with the sick and an argument arises with the disciples and a sick child’s father. The child seems to be suffering from I think epileptic illness. Jesus is approached by the sick Child’s father. Jesus asks the man what do you want me to do? The child’s father responds ‘if you can, help us. Jesus responded ‘if I can?’ then continued ‘everything is possible for him who believes.’ The child’s father responded ‘I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief.’ The story ends where the child is healed. The Child’s father is also encouraged because he admitted he ‘had unbelief.’
Unbelieve
The problem with unbeliever in our lives is that it stands in the way of our gifts. We have been gifted with every perfect gift from the Father of lights. 1 Peter 4 verse 10 reminds us ‘use our gifts to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace.’
Others
Ahh, we need to serve one another, the gifts are not always all about us. Perhaps you think that you actually did not receive any good gifts that you are able to share with others. No! You have received good gifts from God. You just have to identify them and develop them to the Glory of God. In fact, you should right here and now, pray about your gifts, praising God and bring Him glory.
Attractive
Something that I never realized is that ‘one’s gifts makes ¬ one attractive’. These gifts cause an attraction to you, it could go both ways, one is it is good and the other isn’t that good. Off the top of my head let’s think of someone really handsome, Absalom ¬ King David’s son. It seems that this man rocked his community. We see in 2 Samuel 14 verse 25 ‘from the top of Absalom’s head to the soles of his feet, he was so attractive’ the people loved Absalom, they simply adored him, to the extent that they followed him. This also was detrimental to him. This attractiveness caused his death.
Your Gifts
Now you say, I do not have any gifts; you have not identified them just yet. Do not make the mistake of saying that ‘you are useless’ absolutely no. If you feel that you are worthless, stop yourself. You are so precious to God; He gifted you with every good and perfect gifts. Take this time and worship and praise God. Let this be a way forward, in identifying your own gifts.
You are valuable to the Lord God; your gifts do not determine your value.
Comparison
As a young believer, I used to believe that other Christians were gifted by God and I just didn’t make the grades. I felt inadequate and just not able to match up to my fellow Christians. I soon realized that it wasn’t true, God gifted me in a unique way, I am able to knit, crochet, paint draw, read to name but a couple of natural gifts. I had to come to a point in my life in not comparing myself to my fellow Christian. I was different, I am unique.
In closing, we are reminded in James Chapter 1 verse 18 ‘that God chose to give us birth through the word of truth that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all He created.’ Ah, a first fruit ¬ like tithing, wow. To my mind it means that I should live my life in abundance, God has to birth it through the word of truth.
Prayer
O Father God, we thank You for today’s message. Thank You, Lord, for being the cornerstone in our Christian lives. Without the Lord Jesus, we amount to nothing. O Father of lights, thank You that You chose us by birthing the word of truth that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all You have created. We praise Your name, Amen
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