Appreciating the Giftings of Others

Good morning! I hope you had a great weekend and that you are off and running this morning.

This weekend was a great time for me. I had the privilege of spending a good bit of time with the people from our church. Over the weekend we decorated our sanctuary for the Christmas season and last night we shared a meal together and kicked off our celebration of the Savior’s birth.

What made this time special for me was the opportunity of seeing others utilize their gifts, talents and abilities for common purposes. This is a real life demonstration of God’s divine makeup of our lives and the lives of those around us.

1 Corinthians 12:28 (NLT)
Here is a list of some of the members that God has placed in the body of Christ:

first are apostles,
second are prophets,
third are teachers,
then those who do miracles,
those who have the gift of healing,
those who can help others,
those who can get others to work together,
those who speak in unknown languages.

On Saturday night, I watched as those with a gift for design and visual aesthetics guided those with a gift for serving and doing decorate a sanctuary, while those with a gift of hospitality made sure there were refreshments for everyone. On Sunday morning I watched a 10 year old girl share her singing abilities while those with a heart for missions encouraged us to be apart of international mission efforts. Last night we culminated with a mixture of another diverse group of people decorating, serving and sharing.

Whether it’s a church, a business or simply a family, we are at our best when we take note of the gifting of those around us and create an opportunity for those gifts to flourish.
This week I encourage you to observe the gifts, talents and abilities in those who God has placed around you. How can their unique abilities mesh with yours to make everything you undertake that much better?

Until next Monday, may God’s richest blessings be yours this week.

Carl