Daily Devotional for Monday, July 28

The Command to Know the Gifts

“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant,” 1 Corinthians 12:1.

Over the years, I have heard many people say that they do not know what their spiritual gifts are. I have sat under people teaching about spiritual gifts and trying to teach others about what their spiritual gift could possibly be. I have personally sat with people and helped them break down what some of their natural gifts are and try to get them to see if those natural talents might carry over into the ways that God has gifted them for service. All too often people either are not that interested in knowing what their gifts from God are, or they are in denial about what their gifts are, so they then do not feel an obligation to be using them for the Lord.

When Paul was addressing the church at Corinth, he did not want them to not know about spiritual gifts or for them to ignore them (verse 1).  These gifts should not be ignored because they come from God, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17). You cannot say that you do not have any gifts from God because He has given gifts to everyone and wants you to use them to serve others, “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10). Because God has given them to you to be used, you should not neglect to know or use them (1 Timothy 4:14). By not finding out, ignoring and neglecting to use the gifts that God has given you, you are willfully violating His command.

JUST A THOUGHT

Instead of ignoring your spiritual gifts, maybe you could use them to impact your church and those that the Lord brings into your life.

Tim Chambers