Discovering God’s Will for my Life PART THREE
IT’S WORTH CONSIDERING
So far in this series, we’ve looked at Christ as our life and the three major components of God’s will-His providential will, His moral will, and His personal will. Today, we’ll examine how knowing and utilizing our spiritual gift (or gifts) will help us determine God’s will for us. There’s a very logical connection and it centers on how God made us as a “one of a kind.” Each one of has been hand crafted by the Master to serve Him and minister to His people in a way no one else can. The way believers have been gifted spiritually (1 Peter 4:10) is a direct reflection of the exact way He intends to use us. If you’re not familiar with the whole concept of spiritual gifts, spend some time studying Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-14:40, Ephesians 4:7-16, and 1 Peter 4. If you are a believer and would like to discover your unique spiritual gift(s), go to Search the Scriptures and click on RESOURCES (at the top), then ESSENTIAL RESOURCES, then SPIRITUAL GIFT EXAM.

Once we know what our primary spiritual gift is, we can expect God to work His will for us around that gift. He gave it to us for a reason, and the reason is to serve the body of Christ in a way that is uniquely us. It’s the biggest key to understanding God’s personal plan for our lives. He’s not going to expect us to perform in an area where we’re not equipped. Considering how simple this principle is, it’s a shame so many Christians spend so much time wondering what God’s will for them is.

AS I SEE IT
To show how this works in real life, I’d like to share a little of my own story. Over the years, I’ve taken several spiritual gifts tests and they always come out the same-TEACHING and EVANGELISM. These are the unique gifts God gave me when I believed and they are unique to me. My style of teaching is unlike that of anyone else I know. My style of evangelism is likewise unique. They are essential components of who I have become as a Christian. I couldn’t change anything about them if I wanted to. It’s awesome to suddenly have a gift I never had before, and it’s equally awesome to realize that the power behind these gifts comes from God Himself through the Holy Spirit. The effective use of my gifts requires me to depend completely on the Holy Spirit for the power. I can operate my gifts in the flesh, but I’ll see no results. To see fruit, I must be as prepared as I can possibly be, but I must trust completely in “Christ in me” through the power of the Holy Spirit.

One of the keys to recognizing your special gift is the joy it brings. Every time you use it in the power of the Holy Spirit you come away filled with joy, enthusiasm, and hope. The feeling is so good that you want to experience it as often as possible. For this reason, we should actively seek opportunities to put our gifts to use. Over the years, I have found several avenues that mesh perfectly for my gifts. For the past 25 years or so, I have been a speaker with Stonecroft Ministries. This has allowed me to share my testimony with hundreds of people and lead many to Christ. For the past 7 or 8 years I have volunteered as a leader for the local crisis pregnancy center’s “spiritual emphasis” meetings. Once a month I help teach from the Bible and have the opportunity to lead many young girls, their boyfriends, or their husbands to the Lord. I have become affiliated with several other organizations that allow me to teach and share Christ around the world. Once a month, a group of us shares the gospel at special outreach session of our church’s food pantry program.

I mention these things to help get your creative juices flowing so you can discover ways to use your gift. The more you use it, the easier it will be to discern God’s will for you in the areas that concern you.

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