What Do I Have To Offer?

Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. Ephesians 4:11-12, NLT

OUR BELLIES WERE FULL, and the children were playing together outside. Colorful plastic dinner plates with remnants of our taco dinner still littered the tabletops, and laughter and storytelling filled the first floor. Our community group meets in different homes each week, and this week everyone was sitting around our table. As we passed around dessert, we were also about to pass around something much sweeter.

We had today’s verse in front of us, and one by one, we went around the circle naming the spiritual gift we thought others had and how they uniquely contributed that gift. We took our time with each person, savoring the words we were giving and receiving. It was a special time of building up one another and telling specific ways we have seen God use them. The encouragement was completely infectious, and we left that evening feeling full of life, ready to love and serve even more.

My pastor says the difference between our talents and spiritual gifts is that spiritual gifts help others to know God more. The best way to know which gifts we have is to start being women who specifically tell others how we are blessed by them and how their gifts help us to know God more. If you see someone using her gift, say something. Breathe encouragement into her bones. Or if you see a glimmer of a gift, tell that sister. Encourage her to use her gift more by faith.

My community group affirmed my gift of teaching that night. They thanked me for what I had taught them, and because of that, I’ve grown more confident in my teaching. The words shared were life-giving:

“When you explained this concept or taught this idea, I understood God more. You have a teaching gift.”

“You are convincing about Jesus and His Kingdom. I totally see evangelism as a gift you have.”

“You are always thinking about the future and new ways of seeing the world and thinking about God. You have the gift of an apostle.”

Sister, when we hold back encouragement, we hold back others’ gifts, and we hold back the body of Christ. But when we tell others how we see God using them, we put on grace and build up the entire Kingdom of God. Let’s be women who build up others. Grace looks like seeing something lovely and saying so.

GRACE REFLECTION: Take a moment and think of how someone has caused you to see God more. Send a text or tell them face-to-face how you see God using them and how they are using God’s gifts. I promise, you’ll be wearing grace when you do this.