Using our spiritual gifts to do the will of God
IT’S WORTH CONSIDERING
In a previous article, we looked at why we should be seeking God’s will before we ever consider His specific will for our lives. He wants us to recognize what He is already doing, and then to consider how He has equipped us to join Him. He’s not looking for our good ideas for advancing His kingdom. He looking for those who will be willing to join Him in His program.
One common mistake we make is to think that God has a big plan for me which will continue throughout eternity. We get so focused on doing the right thing in the right capacity that we miss His primary desire for us. We want to know if He wants us to be a missionary, a businessman, a homemaker etc. while all He wants is that we have such a close relationship with Him that we become one with Him. That’s what He’s after.
If we’re waiting for God to give us a one-time assignment that we can devote our life to, we’re in for a long wait. God seldom works that way. God’s assignments come on a daily basis. He wants us to be so close to Him that we are always ready to be nudged this way or that as He chooses. This way we must be constantly alert and expecting the unexpected and willing to embrace it on a moment’s notice.
AS I SEE IT
Too often we think God will give us a lifetime assignment based on what we perceive our spiritual gift(s) to be. I have taken many spiritual gifts tests, and have found that over time, the results change, not drastically, but in significant ways. This reflects the different way the Holy Spirit manifests Himself in me to respond to God’s directives. This became clearer as I came to understand that spiritual gifts aren’t a thing, a special enabling and equipping as much as they are the Holy Spirit manifesting Himself in different ways to accomplish God’s will.
This is why we must be submitted to the Lordship of Christ, completely submitted and ready to respond to whatever call he places on us. He may lead us into areas where we never dreamed of going. We must stop focusing on our talents, abilities and interest as we seek to discover God’s will. We must not think something is God’s will because it’s something we would enjoy. That’s a self-centered approach.
God wants us to be completely God-centered, willing to do whatever He asks, whenever He asks, regardless of how equipped we feel. Every so often, we need to reassess our gifts in light of where God has us at the moment. He always enables us to carry out His assignments. He doesn’t call the equipped; he equips the called. Are we following His lead or are we following our idea of what God desires from us?
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