Your Gift Will Look Good on You. Unwrap it.

When Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven, He left you an incredible gift—your spiritual gift. Maybe you’ve not discovered yet what you have in Jesus. Could it be you have it framed on the wall, not using it? Or have left your gift under the tree, unopened and unappreciated? 

1 Corinthians 12: 1 says that God does not want us to be ignorant to our  spiritual gifts, brethren. But you see I was not ignorant. I always knew I had gifts, but I was confused as to where to use my gifts, as the places that I thought they could be used, I was told it was either "too much", or it was "abused", "manipulated" and "misappropriated."  So because of what people did with my gifts, I had become so disheartened that I had fooled myself in thinking that my gifts did not have a place. So I let them sit unopened.

But God didn’t send His Son to save us so that we could sit but to serve! He gave us all a spiritual gift. Ephesians 4:7 says, But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ”. Grace here is the Greek word "charis" which is a God-given spiritual ability for service and ministry. So if you're a child of God, you are graced with a gift. And each of His children are given something to do that shows who God is: "Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits". (1 Corinthian 12:4-11, Message)

Your spiritual gift goes beyond talent. You don’t choose your spiritual gift anymore than you choose your natural gifts—like the color of your eyes or skin. Just as you get natural talents genetically by your first birth, your spiritual gift is given to you at your new birth. It is supernatural. You can develop your natural gifts, and you can develop your supernatural gifts. You see I never really developed the gifts my Father bestowed upon me, because I allowed people in my family, on my jobs and in the churches I attended to discourage me from using my gifts. Because  as the worship song chosen for today says: 

"The systems of the world
Will try to take your confidence
But these systems were designed to make you doubt what heaven sent
But these systems were designed to make you sit down on your gift."
Donald Lawrence - The Gift Lyrics | MetroLyrics 

When I no longer allowed fear, criticism, envy and jealously to discourage what I know God has graced me to be and do, did I begin to serve Him more freely and unapologetically.  I have discovered gifts that I never knew existed and I must say that these gifts that I have been graced to wear sure looks good on me. Someone just recently said to me that I look "so free" and that's because I have opened the gifts my loving Father bestowed upon me and I am wearing them with grace, freely, fiercely and fearlessly. And you know what, God has graced you too, and your gifts can look good on you too. 
 
Never despise someone else's gift, because "all kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people! The variety is wonderful. God’s various gifts are handed out everywhere; but they all originate in God’s Spirit." (1 Corinthian 12:4-11, Message) So you wear what God has graced you with because as one body we will bring glory to our Heavenly Father who freely bestowed His Spirit on each of us. 

As a gifted child you can’t leave your gift in the box or sitting on the wall collecting dust. Find out what God wants you to do and get busy doing it. Focus on serving Him because when you serve Him, joy begins to flow and you live in fulfillment. So today,  accept yourself, unwrap your gift, surrender yourself and then work your grace for the glory of God.

~Yolanda D.

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