The Gift in YouChikamu

Uniquely and Beautifully You

Only you can be you. No one else is coming to be you. There are several areas where you are gifted to be uniquely and beautifully you. In your personality, your core values, your strengths (and weaknesses) and your spiritual giftings. And then there is your own unique story. Our gifts were given to be employed in the use of serving one another. We must manage and understand our own unique gifts SO THAT God’s generosity can flow through us into others! 

Firstly, we see 1 Corinthians 12 addresses the body of Christ as uniquely gifted. This chapter uses human anatomy as a powerful picture to illustrate how we are designed to function together, each part different but equally important and needed. “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” (NASB) God has given gifts to each of us from His variety of spiritual gifts. The body of Christ needs you and your unique gifting to function as it should.

Secondly, you have a unique personality temperament. Across the years there have been many personality assessments each with their descriptive analysis. Many of us are introverts while others are extroverts. Many of us are task-oriented while many of us are more people-oriented. Some assessments go into layers and layers of character descriptions while others are more simplified. God’s intentional design was for you to live in such a way as to bring Him the greatest glory from His design. I believe that whenever we are living in the “sweet spot” of our giftings we have the most personal fulfillment as well.  

Thirdly, you have been uniquely equipped with certain strengths or skill sets. Strength-Finder assessments are a huge buzz-word in the workplace these days. Employees function better and  have increased job satisfaction when operating in areas of their strengths. Team-building utilizes the individual strengths of each team member to make the team stronger and more productive as a whole. But we must all remember that “strengths overused can become a weakness.” 

One great way to see what God has planned for your life is to look at the skills that you have been blessed with. Exodus 35:30-35 has Moses speaking to Israel about specific men with specific skills that they were given by God to use for His glory. If God has gifted you musically, then serve Him on the church worship team or other avenue to musically bless others. Do you like public speaking? Maybe God could be calling you to be a preacher. Do you like hands-on activities? Maybe consider missions or becoming a caretaker of the church. If you aren’t already involved in your church, please consider the skills you have been given by God and see how you can serve and benefit His kingdom. Serving others can be deeply satisfying to the human heart.

Fourthly, we each have specific “Core Values.” These are the guiding principles that pilot our decisions and behaviors. Everybody has “values,” but the question is, have you identified what yours are? Core Values can help us (or our businesses) as a filter to determine if we are on the right path to fulfilling personal or business goals and they create an unwavering and unchanging guide. Often, these are those things that you would be willing to die for, but they are actually the very values that you must live for. Core Values are revealed by the way that we live. They are principles that characterize our lives, possibly even things that keep you awake at night. Some examples of Core Values are teamwork, compassion, integrity, missions, family, positivity, faith, endurance, accountability, enthusiasm etc.

We simply cannot compare our giftings with those of others. Just because you are different doesn’t mean you aren’t needed and valuable. Quite the contrary, your difference is part of the completion of God’s design. Feel free to be you, uniquely you, but be the very BEST YOU. You are the only one that can offer your gifts back to the service of God and for His eternal purposes. No one else can be YOU. Remember that we can never out-give the Gift Giver. We must live and serve as the unique gift that we were created to be. You have been uniquely gifted and equipped. Fan the flame of your gifts and step into HIS purposes for such. 

Ponder

Consider your own unique gifts and strengths. You are simply the perfect, unique part of a larger body of usefulness and purpose. How can you offer your gifts to serve others?

Prayer

Lord, I pray for greater revelation as to how to use my intentional gifts to serve Your story and purposes. Open my eyes and help me be mindful of my unique value and my potential contributions to serve others well.