Words of Hope Daily Devotional
START EVERY DAY WITH HOPE
Get the Words of Hope Devotional and get daily encouragement to love God, read his Word, and meet with him in prayer. Available in print and email.
START EVERY DAY WITH HOPE
Get the Words of Hope Devotional and get daily encouragement to love God, read His Word, and meet with Him in prayer. Available in print and email.
Are You Using Your Spiritual Gifts?
Read: Romans 12
Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them. (v. 6)
Picture the last time you received a gift. Perhaps it was a day when you expected a gift: your birthday, an anniversary, Christmas morning. Or perhaps it was an unexpected surprise! A gift is unearned, and often a sign of love.
God has given each Christian at least one spiritual gift. A spiritual gift is a special ability empowered by the Holy Spirit to use in service to God. In yesterday’s devotional, we learned that the church is one body with many parts. We bring a variety of different gifts to the body of Christ so that together we can disciple and reach others in the name of Jesus.
Romans 12:6-8 lists some spiritual gifts, including teaching, exhortation, and leadership. Passages like 1 Corinthians 12:8-11, Exodus 31:3, and Ephesians 4:11-13 contain additional lists of gifts. We can discover our gifts (how we are best equipped to serve) through experience and through assessment, and I have found that to be a helpful exercise.
However, it’s not enough to merely know your spiritual gift or gifts. The point is to use them. First Peter 4:10 says, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” Discover and use your spiritual gifts. The church and the kingdom need what God has empowered and equipped you to offer.
As you pray, ask God to help you discover and humbly use your spiritual gifts in ways that honor him and bless others.
Steve Petroelje is a specialized transition pastor who serves vacant churches and helps them assess health, pursue missional effectiveness, and conduct a pastoral search process. He is the past-president of the Words of Hope Board of Directors.
