GIFTS

Sunday Devotional for 12/9/12

Christmas time brings thoughts of gifts - buying, wrapping, sending, opening, and using them.  It can be such an exciting time, filled with anticipation.  We look forward to receiving gifts picked out just for us and find joy in using something that with special meaning.  However, some people may receive gifts they don't want and even "re-gift" them to someone else.  Or they put them away in a closet only to forget about them.  But generally when we give something that we carefully picked out, we anticipate that the person receiving the gift will utilize it and enjoy it.

God graciously gives each of us special gifts.  He gives us time, talents, treasures and our testimony, all to be used to his glory.  He does not expect us to lock those gifts away never to be seen or used.  He expects us to make use of  them for the building up of the whole body of Christ.  Not to use them would be like saying the giver didn't know what he was doing.  God certainly knows the best gifts to give each of us!

For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them.  Romans 12:4-6a ESV

written by Jan Andersen