God's Gifts, Our Responsibility

Something dawned on me recently after discussing gifts with respect to God's provision and our responsibility in CBS last Monday. The question was, "How do you see in these verses [2 Timothy 1:1-7] a balance between God's sovereignty and provision for ministry and our own personal responsibility?"

The short answer was, "God gives us gifts according to his will. Our personal responsibility is what we do with those gifts."

We all want to be useful to the Lord. We ask, "What is God's will for my life?" and the most direct answer I find is in Romans 12:1-2. More specifically we can be a living sacrifice using our God-given gifts for his will and purpose and ministry.

I searched the keyword "gifts" on BibleGateway.com and found two types of these gifts: one seems to be for vocation, one seems to be for spirituality. Romans 12 discusses gifts that direct our vocation. See Romans 12:3-8. And 1 Corinthians 12 discusses spiritual gifts, which are manifestations of the Spirit, that direct our roles in the common good of the body of Christ.

So if we ask ourselves, "What does God want me to do with my life," we must first ask God, "Show me the gifts you have given me." Then it simply becomes our responsibility to use those gifts in a way that glorifies Christ.

For example, if I discover my gift is to teach children, then it is my responsibility to offer myself to teach children in Sunday school such that they see Christ in his glory.

Although this may be a stretch, perhaps this may be applied to determine what type of work best suits you. For example, if I discover I have a gift of leadership then perhaps I should seek to be a team manager at my job. Then that gives opportunity to serve God by leading diligently and honesty and fairness, not laying a large burden on the team members but give them resources they need to do their work well. And then I can acknowledge Christ if they are thankful.

This immediately led me to pray asking God to show me what his gifts are in me. Perhaps it can for you.

Gospel Is No Rumor

We receive in our email inboxes all sorts of spam (unwanted advertisement), while not entirely sure how our email addresses have circulated to the senders. And we receive directed email that is not more than a circulation of rumors. The stories typically include sources that cannot be proven with cross references. Sometimes the phrase is, "I kept this a secret until now..." sort of thing, something that was witnessed behind closed doors, without the news reporters present, etcetera. As soon as I see that I'm usually skeptical. They may be heart-warming or inspiring stories and that may have come merit, but to pass off as an actually event when the facts cannot be examined are suspicious. Or most recently rumors about presidential candidates. I cannot say what is true unless I've walked along side the candidate all of their lives, which makes it difficult to vote without trusting the Lord's will with our nation and its leaders. Well... anyway...

Today I read in 2 Timothy how the Gospel of Truth is circulated which is the total opposite method of this sort of rumor mill mechanism. Paul urges Timothy to this, "And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others." (2 Tim 2:2).

No rumor mill there. Paul preached the gospel openly and in the presence of many witnesses. And he tells Timothy to entrust these to reliable men, who will be able to teach others.

The trial of Christ was open and his execution was public. Words he said were carefully recorded and carefully passed to us years later because of what Paul and Timothy have done by their duty of integrity. And those words, my dear, are what warms my heart.

LOST and Found

After watching the season finale of LOST (read, humbly admitting to watch not such an edifying TV show) I thought, "I don't think I want to watch this anymore. It just makes me angry with annoying people." Don't you think Ben is annoying. And I mentioned this to my wife, Anita. We both agreed: No more LOST.

However, I find myself going out of our way to record and then watch LOST, the season premier. Ben is still annoying. Anita said, "instead of just tying him up why don't they stuff a rag in his mouth so they don't have to listen to him."

Yet, the show has small facets that redeem it. In the premier it dawned on me that the character, Charlie, knowingly and willingly gave his life to save his friends. This sort of sounds like another man we know from 2000 years ago.

Charles Spurgeon in today's devotional had this, regarding the infiniteness of Jesus:

The covenant is always described as being everlasting, and Jesus, the second party in it, is from eternity. He struck hands in sacred covenant long before the first stars began to shine, and it was in Him that the elect were ordained unto eternal life. In this way a most blessed covenant union was established between the Son of God and His elect people, which will remain as the foundation of their safety when time shall be no more.