What Gift Has God Given You?نموونە

The verses from 1 Peter remind us that God wants us to use our everyday talents and gifts to benefit others and to the praise and glory of Christ. The strength and grace to serve come from God too!

First Corinthians 12:4-28 reminds us that we ALL have a role to play, just as different parts of the human body have an important role. No part of the body can be left out, or the whole body suffers. In the same way, in the Church, we bring our different gifts and form one body, able to do far more than we could do on our own. We shouldn’t be discouraged when we don’t have the same gift as someone else because we serve God and one another with what we do have to offer.

Dr. Odry Agbessi, Benin’s first reconstructive burns surgeon, says, “I believe when you are given a gift, you are meant to share it.” Having been trained by Mercy Ships to help burns victims, now she trains other surgeons!

Could you use your talents and skills to help people in your church by joining a Sunday team or midweek ministry?

Maybe there’s a ministry, like Mercy Ships, that would benefit from your skills or abilities – Mercy Ships need volunteers in the UK to speak about the work locally. You can also serve onboard ships (which remain in one place for 10 months) in various roles, from teachers and administrators to electricians and cooks, as well as surgeons, nurses, AV sound technicians, and seafarers!

Ian, a baker and recent volunteer with Mercy Ships, says: “I was surprised my skills were needed. I thought that everyone knew how to bake! Throughout my career, I had been chasing accolades, but I found my identity through serving with Mercy Ships.”

If you love baking, maybe you can bless a lonely neighbor with a lovely cake and a conversation, or perhaps you can babysit for free for a single mother who needs some time for herself or support a caregiver looking after a disabled relative.

Reflect: How have you been blessed recently by others using their God-given gifts to help you? Is there someone you could encourage by telling them you’ve seen God working through them? As you’ve spent two days reading what the Bible says about gifts, how have you been inspired to use your talents and skills?

Pray
Father God, thank you for giving each of us different gifts to serve one another in the Church and share your love and mercy with our neighbors. Thank you for preparing good works for us because we are all your handiwork. Please help me use the gifts you have given me for a mission. I lift the volunteers using their skills and talents with Mercy Ships. Please be with them and their patients, the surgeons, and the local professionals they train in each nation. Amen.