03
Nov '18
My Dr. Phil Gift
03
Nov '18
God has given each of you a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to Him forever and ever! Amen. 1 Peter 4:10-11
Lately, my life has been inundated with a wave of sadness, tragedy, and heartbreak. The thing is none of it is directly relating to me. It is as if somehow God has given me this ‘Dr. Phil’ gift. Some of you know exactly what that means. People seemingly come to you because in their mind they have no place else to go. Being honest, I’m unsure how I got it. However, I am grateful God gave it to me. It is a privilege that I do not take lightly because it is like all other gifts God has given me. They have a purpose that is not for me to question. They are to be given and used as He sees fit.
I knew God had gifted it to me one Fall evening. While visiting my mom in the hospital, I had left something in the car. As I entered the hospital parking garage, a man was sobbing uncontrollably because he lost his child and needed to know why. I felt his anguish and pain, and could not muster words to say to him because I did not have an answer to his question. But I did have a shoulder. I hugged and assured him it would be alright. While I felt terrible for the gentleman, I could sense I was there at that moment just for that reason. This is what it is like when you know God is using your gift.
God gifts us with abilities for His will to be done. My pastors over the years have provided guidance as to what my gifts are. Through greater awareness, those gifts have grown to where people rely on me for them. If you have not taken note of what your gifts are, first pray to God for wisdom and discernment. Ask Him to highlight those times where God showed up not for you but through you. Then, take time out to ask someone who knows you. Ask what they rely on you most for. See if there are recurring trends. I am not saying seek out and ask, “Kent, do you think I’m an empathetic person?” Sincerely go up to someone who knows you well, and ask open-ended questions. What makes me a great friend to you? What do you come to me for? Why? Finally, ask God to give you clarity what on His will for you going forward. Do as 1 Peter said; give freely. You’re doing it right when the spirit in you moves positively with each act of generosity. The goal is not for you to be perfect. It is to grow in Christ as you continue to give that which He has gifted you for.
God gives us so much. He gives us unconditional love, and provides us with protection. He gives us grace and His Only Son to ensure we would have no barriers between Him and us. When you think of it in that context, it sounds silly to keep that which you are gifted for your own personal gain. Let us give share our gifts such that as God said in Matthew 25, “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities.” (Matthew 25:21a) Do you know your spiritual gifts? How can you go about both learning and utilizing them? My prayer is we give of our gifts willingly and freely as my ‘Dr. Phil.’ Amen.
Kent
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