My mom has said to me on more than one occasion in my adult life, “you missed your calling. You should’ve been a missionary.” To which I’ve always responded, “I am. Just not in the ordinary sense.” As a gymnastics coach of 35 years it’s hard to recognize that I’m a missionary, but the truth is that was my gift. God gave me the gift of leadership and teaching, and not every missionary is in a foreign country. God gives each of us certain gifts and ALL of them are a form of worship and ministry if we choose to use them.
This Week's Scripture Focus: Psm. 139:14
"I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well"
and Galatians 6:17
"From now on, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus."
Here is the deal, we all have strengths and weaknesses and we can choose to focus on either. I just chose to focus on and keep a watchful eye on my strengths. I could’ve decided that the fact that I was just an average gymnast as a young adult disqualified me to be a coach, or I could’ve focused on all the last place scores I received as an athlete through the many years I spent as a gymnast and decided I was not worthy of coaching others in this sport, but the truth is I LOVED gymnastics sooooooo much and GOD was the one who placed that love in my heart. He downloaded the dream and I had to create the faith and hard work and belief to accomplish it. It wasn’t an accident that I ended up as a state championship coach or as a gym owner. It was my divine purpose and I received it by being obedient to his calling. I was given a gift and I chose to use it regardless of feeling worthy or adequate. Now as an artist I am having to do the same thing.
I don’t even feel like artist is the term I should use for myself because I have no formal training at all and honestly discovered my artistic gifts late in life so inadequate doesn’t even touch the surface of how I feel about my art, however, I love it, I have a desire to use it to serve others and I look forward to my daily time of worship with God because I get to create and worship at the same time. This is what our gifts are for. They are to be used to worship God and serve others. The old adage of “use it or lose it” is scripturally based in that God doesn’t like us to waste our talents so here are some tips on how to use your gifts to worship God and serve the world.
Serve one another in love. It is important to remember that our gifts are given to us to serve others. We have to remember that keeping them hidden or using them begrudgingly is not how God intended. You know when you are supposed to use your gifts too, because the Holy Spirit gives you a nudge so the next time you feel it, be obedient to it and see what miracles happen.
Be confident in your gifts. In Galatians 6 we are told, “...for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus,” (v17) and therefore, we can be confident in what he has bestowed on us in the way of gifts and talents. As his children, we are to wear that mark with honor and confidence and use our gifts to help make the world a better place.
We all have something divinely special about us that no one else has. No one is like you. God created you and formed you with his own hands. Just like art you are one of a kind. You were “fearfully and wonderfully made...made in a secret place...woven together in the depths of the earth.” (Psm. 139). Every part of you was carefully crafted by the master artist we call Father to be exactly who and what the world needs at this exact moment in time. You are that person from head to toe and you simply need to live as his masterpiece.
No matter where you are in your journey called life, you have a gift to share with the world. One that not only makes it better but is offered in worship to our Heavenly Father. It doesn’t matter how old or how young you are, you have so much to offer the world around you and every scar of life or struggle you have been through made you the perfect person for the job and with each experience your impact gets greater so go be the hero of your story and worship and serve with your gifts.
Application:
1. What do you feel your gifts are?
2. Are you resisting or embracing these gifts?
3. Look for opportunities this week to use your gifts to worship God and serve others?
4. Pray for God to reveal to you what gifts he is nudging you to use more.
We will be covering goals, purpose and potential during our study next month and it will be in conjunction with our January Worship Box launch. Be sure to follow me on facebook for our daily scripture readings and discussions and don't forget to join my ART & JESUS private facebook group for bible art tutorials on our monthly topics as well. Until next time, keep striving to become the amazing woman of God he created you to be.
Joyfully,
P.S. Our January subscription box includes this traceable and we will be creating this "Keep a watchful eye" bible art page in our facebook group live class. Join the waitlist today by clicking here.
