Friday, September 28, 2012

Recognize your gifts!

Yesterday, I had the honor of sharing devotions to my company.  It was a blessing and I am grateful.  I was so incredibly nervous to speak to all those people but nevertheless, I am thankful.  I just wanted to share that devotion with you all so you could hopefully be encouraged as well.

My job is such a blessing because daily I have the privelege of working with incredibly gifted doctors and medical professionals who are using their gifts and talents in order to show Jesus to people all over the world.  They're sacrificing their own time, money, talents and resources to serve overseas.  Most of the time when I get their trip reports back following the conclusion of their trips, I'm reading how these medical professionals were significantly impacted and blessed by their trips.  That really started stirring up my thoughts about the gifts that the Lord has placed in each of us.

As believers, we've been specifically assigned and engrafted with Kingdom purpose.  We have to recognize how we've been gifted and start using that to our fullest potential in order to build the Kingdom. 

4 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. 5 There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. 6 God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. - 1 Corinthians 12: 4-7

Throughout the rest of chapter 12 of 1 Corinthians, Paul continues to make the correlation between the body and spiritual gifts.  Each gift, each "part of the body" fits together to build the Kingdom.  It's no coincidence, in my opinion, that the very next chapter he continues to say that building the Kingdom as one body is only possible if we keep love at the forefront. 

Surrounding us daily are the most brilliant and talented people on the planet.  An entire earth composed of people who fit together and compliment each other perfectly.  There are people with an incredible ability to encourage all the time.  There are prayer warriors.  There are people who's words flow together so perfectly that when they address crowds whole masses of people leave inspired.  The list goes on and on.  The gifts of the Lord are amazing and unlimited.

I believe that Kingdom purpose is two fold:
  1. Recognizing our own gifts as given by the Lord. 
    • No where in the Bible does it say that it's bad to recognize that you are gifted.  In fact, I believe that it creates an attitude of gratitude when you realize that what you're good at is only because the Lord made you good at it.
  2. Recognizing the gifts in others so we can pull those gifts out of them and encourage them to pursue their purpose.
    • We have to be sensitive to opportunities to encourage others to go after what they're good at.  Pushing people to use their resources to bless others creates a cycle of growth.
17 Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens.  He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. -James 1:17

God didn't design you with gifts that he was unsure of.  It wasn't a probability equation at the time of your creation in Heaven.  No -- God designed you with certain gifts and talents with purpose and on purpose.  He knew that by using those gifts, you were going to be able to change the world. 

Recognize your calling and answer in obidience.  You will, undoubtedly, be immensely blessed.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

reflections on the land of the free.

11 years ago today I vividly remember one of my 8th grade teachers Mrs. Lewis running down the hall and busting into our classroom and yelling "SHANE, turn on your TV...something really bad is happening."  Shane Andre was the other teacher on the team.  He was a South African exchange teacher in his late 20s.  He was teaching in the US for only a year.  He had no clue the significance of what would be one of the most memorable and significant events in history for our generation.  He shut the TV off and continued teaching.  Hours later, I got off the bus at my house only to find both of my parents in tears on the couch as they sat me and my brother down and talked about what was going on.  I've seen my dad cry twice in my life... on 9/11 and at his mother's funeral.  That was a day that will forever be burned in my memory. 

Here in the United States we are blessed beyond measure with all of the freedoms that we could ever want.  We have the freedom to do what we want [within more than reasonable limits]. We have the freedom to worship as we see fit.  We have the freedom to speak freely.  We have the freedom to vote on those who we believe will lead our nation well.  We live in a nation where dreams are supported and encouraged.  Here, in the land of the free, we are more than fortunate. 

Over the last few months we have been in a "political war" if you will.  Everywhere we look, we can see billboards, articles in magazines and newspapers, tv specials and news reports and everyone's favorite phrase "...and I approve this message."  In this "war" of sorts, I have seen people's true colors, wanted to delete Facebook 8 times at least and been so tired of the division.  That's just me.  And before I go forward, yes I do care about who wins the presidential seat, yes I do have an opinion about what's best for our nation, yes I do believe that informed politics is important, but NO, I will not engage in a war with my friends and acquaintances just to prove my point.  The truth of the matter is that our "one nation under God" was never intended by the God who created it and assigned it so many freedoms to be a nation divided over anything, especially politics.  We have to be careful, because over engaging in politics can quickly develop into us idolizing a political candidate and not honoring the God who gave us the right to vote and have a government. 

Today, however, is different.  Today we stand as one nation, not distracted and divided over discrepancies and political opinions, but united as the "one nation under God" we were created to be.  Today, although it commemorates a horrible event that forever shifted history, is a day that brings us together.  It is a day where we celebrate being connected and are thankful for our ability to be free and those that stand in battle to protect those freedoms.  Today is a day, even amidst election season, that I am truly proud to be an American.

Be grateful today for what you have been given.  Be thankful today for what you've been spared from.  Be thankful today that you live in a free nation.  Choose to use today as a day that you can love on those that need it most by setting aside your opinions and picking up gratitude and support.  Be proud to be an American today.  This is the land of the free and the home of the incredibly and sacrificially brave.