As I was walking through the forest on a beautiful fall morning, I marveled at how the sun shone through the red and gold autumn leaves, illuminating these precious gems of nature. I love Fall. I loved feeling the cool crisp breeze, breathing in the scent of autumn leaves in the air, and enjoying the brilliant autumn colors of burgundy, red, orange, and gold. I marveled at how one single leaf can have several different colours and I appreciated God’s handiwork on each colourful leaf I saw. Nature is His masterpiece for us all to enjoy, and every season has its own beauty.
As I continued walking, I watched a dog meandering back and forth across my path in absolute glee. I walked silently so I could listen to the birds of the forest sing. I could hear chickadees, robins, warblers, and even the solemn whistle of a large, majestic eagle soaring boldly above the treetops. Listening to all the different birds singing was like listening to a forest symphony. If it were only one bird singing, or no birds at all, the experience would not have been the same. All the singing birds were needed for the grand symphony.
I thought to myself, it is the same in God’s Kingdom. He invites each of us to use our gifts and abilities, working together, just like the forest symphony, to accomplish His divine plan on this earth. God has created every person uniquely, with his or her own combination of giftings and abilities. He created each of us with these wonderful capabilities for a purpose, so that we can use them to glorify God and further His Kingdom.
Do you know, my friend, what your unique giftings and abilities are? Are you using them to fulfill the purposes for which God has placed you here on this earth? We get to experience true joy when we serve our LORD with our time, talents and treasures, because we can see the impact they have on the world around us to bring glory to His Kingdom.
One afternoon over warm cranberry muffins and tea, I asked a new friend from Bible study what she thought her gifts and talents were in Christ. She was listening intently, but looked at me rather blankly. After a pause, she responded, “I am not exactly sure.” So then I asked, “What kinds of things are you good at?” and “What kinds of things do you enjoy doing?”, hoping to help her discover some of her giftings. Sometimes, it can be challenging to realize on our own, and such questions can help point us in the right direction. So I ask you as well, ‘What sorts of things are you good at?’ and ‘What sorts of things do you enjoy doing?’
Prayer is another effective way to discover the purpose for which we were designed. By spending quality time in prayer, the LORD can open our eyes to our unique gifts and strengths, guide us on the right path, and open doors of opportunity to serve Him.
There are also a number of spiritual gifts questionnaires readily available online that can help direct you to discover your spiritual gifts. Discovering how God has designed us can help us fulfill our God-given purpose in life!
Like the autumn leaf which gracefully falls to the ground, the older I become, the more I realize that my days in this world are numbered. I want to use my days wisely to serve the LORD to the best of my abilities, and to further His kingdom by helping point others to Christ. I know that one day I will be called to give an account of how I used the time and talents God has entrusted to me. I want to be able to give the LORD a good account, and hear those words, “Well done.”
The Great Commission from Matthew 28:19-20 has always left an unforgettable impression on my heart as it was Jesus’ final command to His followers before He ascended to Heaven. In the Great Commission, Jesus said,
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)
Nowhere in these verses does it imply that the Great Commission is only for specific people, e.g., pastors, evangelists, missionaries, and the like. Rather, Jesus just says, “Go!” In this case, ‘Go!’ is a sentence because it has an implied noun. The implied noun is ‘You’. As His follower, Jesus is asking ‘You’ to ‘Go!’
Will you ‘Go’? We can honor what Jesus commissioned us to do when He said, “Go!” We can do this by working together, each using our own unique giftings and abilities to ‘go’ into the world and help spread the Good News of Jesus Christ. By doing so, we become the hands and feet of Jesus, helping to fulfill Jesus’ final command, the Great Commission.
Can you think of people in your life today who need to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ? You might be the exact person God can use to tell them. Let us seize the divine opportunities placed before us to make an eternal impact. God has already uniquely equipped us. He merely asks us to step out in faith and take action. You will never go alone. Jesus has promised that He is always with us. He will go ahead of us to prepare the way, and walk beside us equipping us with all we need.
My friend, it is my heartfelt prayer that you set aside some quality time this week in prayer, as well as in additional avenues, to discover your unique giftings and abilities with which the LORD has blessed and entrusted to you. Furthermore, I pray that you are filled with the LORD’s divine enthusiasm and motivation to rise up and soar boldly as the Godly woman whom the LORD uniquely designed and gifted you to be!
