Spiritually GiftedSample

Body Parts

Lots of men love the movie Rudy starring Sean Astin.

At 5 feet 6 inches tall and 165 lbs, Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger was far from your typical football player.

But he did have talent, a ton of heart, and a strong work ethic, and he eventually realized his dream to play for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. He never played professionally, but his grit and determination paid off and inspired a generation of men to never give up.

It's a good life lesson for men in many areas, really. Tenacity and fire can take you a long way.

But there does need to be talent there, as well. Many a Canadian boy eventually grapples with the fact that he likely isn’t going to play in the NHL—the talent simply isn’t there, no matter how determined a boy is. There are other talents and other careers that will come instead.

God has crafted every one of us together in our mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13), intentionally and with a purpose. Part of His divine purpose for every one of us is the spiritual gifts and talents that God has bestowed in order to glorify Himself and bless other people.

In 1 Corinthians Chapter 12, Paul uses the human body as an analogy to illustrate the Church. Every part of the human body is crucial; every other part depends on it, and vice versa. Each part contributes to the good of the whole. When my foot hurts, my whole body suffers. When I’m healthy and rested, my whole body feels great.

To that end, we each have gifts given to us by God, and they are a blessing to others. Likewise, others in the Church have gifts that we don’t have, and we are blessed by them.

Part of every man’s spiritual journey includes learning how God has gifted him and how to bless others with those spiritual gifts while learning how to receive from the gifts of others. This week, we will examine what the Bible says about the many spiritual gifts that God gives.

Prayer: Father, thank You for the gifts You have given me. Help me walk in the ones I know about and discover the ones I don’t know about yet. May I use them to glorify Your name and bless those around me. Amen.

Reflection: What gifts do you know that you have? Which gifts are you curious about?