Gifts to Glorify Him

Romans Chapter 12:6-8

“We all have different gifts that God has given to us by His loving favor. We are to use them. If someone has the gift of preaching, he should preach. He should use the faith God has given him. If someone has the gift of helping others, then he should help. If someone has the gift of teaching, he should teach. If someone has the gift of speaking words of comfort and help, he should speak. If someone has the gift of sharing what he has, he should give from a willing heart. If someone has the gift of leading other people, he should lead them. If someone has the gift of showing kindness to others, he should be happy as he does it.”

Do you feel like you don’t know what God wants you to do? Do you sometimes feel like you don’t have a purpose? Do you want to glorify Him but just aren’t sure what to do? One day as I was reading my Bible, I came across Romans Chapter 12. As a part of my routine, I highlight my favorite verses that really speak to me. That day, most of the chapter was highlighted because I felt God’s presence and Him calling me to my purpose. Verses 6-8 are lengthy but they talk about the gifts God gives us to help others and spread His love. They are so simple that any of us can do them, but what is extraordinary is that He calls us each specifically to do them.

“If someone has the gift of preaching, he should preach. He should use the faith God has given him.” This is obvious as He means the preachers of our world who stand in front of churches but you don’t necessarily need to be a preacher to preach. As His children, we must do our best to spread the Good News. God sent His son to die for our sins and because of that, we have eternal life. John 3:16 is a simple verse that can be preached to people who don’t know who Jesus is. He has called us to use our faith to preach.

“If someone has the gift of helping others, then he should help.” How easy is that? If someone needs help, reach out to them. This could be anyone going through a hard time mentally or physically. If they have despair in their eyes, show them your compassion that God taught us. Simple gestures such as holding the door for someone or giving them a hug after a long day can be all it takes to help them.

“If someone has the gift of teaching, he should teach.” Elementary teachers help students read, Science teachers help students understand mitosis, and Ag teachers help students see their impact in the industry. These content specific teachers do make an immense impact (I would hope since I am going into the profession) but I feel even better when I can teach someone about Jesus. If someone shows a hint that they might have questions about where they will spend eternity, it is the perfect opportunity to teach them how they can get there and what kind of relationship they need with Jesus.

“If someone has the gift of speaking words of comfort and help, he should speak.” If someone is down in the dumps and needs some encouragement, ask Jesus to fill you with the Holy Spirit so you can say the right words to comfort them. An even better way is putting it completely in His hands and telling them a Bible verse that directly comes from the Word. Sometimes it is hard to know the right thing to say, but with Him, the words will come right to your tongue.

“If someone has the gift of sharing what he has, he should give from a willing heart.” It is easy to always want more than what we have even if we don’t need it. There are so many people out there that have less than us whether it is money, a roof over their head or warm clothes. Instead of keeping those clothes that are in the closet that are never worn, it is okay to donate them to the needy. The most important part about this is doing it with a willing heart and not feeling like you have to. Jesus gave us eternal life so we can give hope to others through giving.

“If someone has the gift of leading other people, he should lead them.” Personally, I am not a leader that likes to give orders or boss others around; however, I want to strive to make a difference in the lives of others by being a leader of some sort of movement. We must do our best to lead people in the right direction of Jesus through the way we talk, think, speak and love. By showing love and compassion, we are being leaders to those who need a path that might be lost.

“If someone has the gift of showing kindness to others, he should be happy as he does it.” In this world, there is so much hate. So many people have never been seen kindheartedness. This encompasses everything in these verses so far. God calls us to love one another as He has loved us. Instead of being vile and mean, it is so easy to change our attitude and put ourselves in someone else’s shoes and give them the kindness that we would like for ourselves.

Jesus works in so many ways and this chapter of Romans speaks volumes to each and every one of us. There are many things we can do and change about ourselves to impact the lives and souls of others. As we strive to populate heaven, we must keep Jesus first in our mind and when He calls us do something, we should follow.