We all get into routines in life and several days begin to look the same.  Depending on what you choose to focus on in life, this repetition can become mundane and begin to feel like a rut you have created for yourself.  God has created each of us with a purpose in mind and that purpose also came with a spiritual gift.  This gift is something that comes naturally to us and sometimes it gets overlooked because it comes to us so easily.  This doesn’t have to be something complicated to figure out…we typically make things much more complicated in the world than necessary (I speak from personal experience).

In the Bible, the gifts of the spirit are as follows…

“We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.  If a person’s gift is prophesying, let them use it in proportion to their faith.  If it is serving, let them serve; if it is teaching, let them teach; if it is encouraging, let them encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let them give generously; if it is leadership, let them govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let them do it cheerfully.”

                                                                                                Romans 12:6-8

Think about moments in your life where it was easy for you to provide for another…not financially, there are far greater needs in the world than money.  The gifts described above are all related to our interactions with others…what have we been given that we can share with other people?  Many of us go about the business of “our” lives first and wonder why we get discouraged so easily?  One of the best ways to cure your discouragement or disappointment is change your perspective…

Begin by approaching your situation by thinking what can I do that helps others…don’t be so quick to think “nothing” it simply is not true.  You are a valuable part of God’s world…you are his creation…and I have heard it said often “God don’t make no junk!”

Look at the list of Gifts…one of these does apply to you…you just need to spend time praying that God will guide you to opportunities to use it and then be very aware of invitations or things you may read or just hear about that are happening in your community…there is a place for you…do you believe it?

The Gifts given according to grace:

• Prophecy – calling for action based of God’s truth
• Service or ministry – serve and meet the needs of others
• Teaching – explain truth so others can understand it and apply it
• Encouraging – to strengthen and inspire others to be their best
• Giving – to generously share what you have been given by God
• Leadership – to govern by steady and earnest effort
• Mercy – to show compassion for others and to do it cheerfully 

I pray we all spend time in prayer asking for God to guide us to our gifts and we begin to use them to make this world a better place for others.

Peace.