Today is your Gifting

^{1 Corinthians 12:27} You are the body of Christ. Each one of you is a part of it.²⁸ First, God has appointed apostles in the church. Second, he has appointed prophets. Third, he has appointed teachers. Then he has appointed people who do miracles and those who have gifts of healing. He also appointed those able to help others, those able to direct things, and those who can speak in different kinds of languages they had not known before.

²⁹ Is everyone an apostle? Is everyone a prophet? Is everyone a teacher? Do all work miracles? ³⁰ Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in languages they had not known before? Do all explain what is said in those languages? ³¹ But above all, you should want the more important gifts.  (Which is LOVE)

I have yet to meet a person who carries every gift at the same time.  Not that I put it past God, He can do anything, but I'm not sure we need to be everything at once. I do feel like God is telling me to be ready to be something.  Be ready for what I need you to be.  

We may not be apostles, but we all have visions and dreams.  We may not be prophets, but we are all called to encourage His people. We may not be great teachers, but all are called to teach what God has taught us. Not many have healing ministries, but Jesus told us to pray for the sick.  

The point is there should be no excuse for us to sit around and let someone else do the job because its not your "gifting."  The Holy Spirit is waiting for us to say, "Lay it on m thick, cause I'm going out into the world today, and I'm ready to shake it up!"  We have no hope to minister in this world apart from God's anointing and the Love we are commanded to bring into it.  Whatever form its in today, be prepared to be used and you will be.  

Don't leave your world the same tomorrow as it was yesterday.  Everyday is a call to change it.   The Holy Spirit is in me for my sake, but He is upon me for the world's.

Preparing a way for The Way

Most of us girls wouldn't even think about going out of the house in our pajamas, without make up, or at the very least, brushing our teeth.  I have a morning routine, empty bladder, comb hair, eat, brush teeth.  Even if I'm not dressed when I bring my boys to school, I'd like to look decent from the windshield.  I need to get myself a little bit ready, at the bare minimum.

I've had those other moments when I was not "ready" and I just quick run to the store because it just has to be done.  Lo and behold I run into someone I know.  Ug, yep, here I am in the raw.  A little embarrassed that I couldn't even take the time to care for myself and show that I actually care for the outside world enough to give them something nice to look at.  (Disclaimer:  I'm not a superficial individual that only cares about what others think, but its a debt to society to at least brush your hair and teeth).

Sometimes I feel like that when I go out without reading my Bible, or praying, or singing a few songs of adoration for our Lord.  Its the same thing.  We need to be ready to minister to the outside world.  If we skip the preparation of our soul, we won't even be aware of the need for it.  When we are feasting on our Lord's presence we will see opportunities, we will be ready, we will be prepared to love, to look past wrongs, to do it God's way.

Its our debt to society to brush our teeth, fix our spirit on Heaven, and go to the store.  Intentionally be aware of the basket, keep it off, and shine our lights.  At my home church, Brandon Valley AG, our motto is Love God, Love people, Make a difference.  But loving God has to come first, we won't be prepared to do the others with out feasting on our Lord first.

Oswald Chambers says "A Christian worker is the one who perpetually looks in the face of God and then goes forth to talk to people.  The secret of the worker's life is that he keeps in tune with God all the time."

2 Corinthians 3:18  We all with open face beholding...the glory of the Lord

Sink or Swim

There is a vast sea, each of us are in it.  Some of us are there on our own accord, others have been placed there by God himself.  Each as a choice in how he will respond.  One man will fight the seas.  He will thrash, crash himself against the water, and flail his arms in frustration.  He is left exhausted, unable to be still and rest.  He is drowning.  

But there is another man, he is moving in a precise pattern, without chaos and confusion.  Other times he is saying completely still on his back, just floating.  This man is building endurance in  his sea, he is resting in this place he has been put.  

 Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to act. Don't worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.  Psalms 37:7

Sometimes we are not moving anywhere in life.  We are just in a sea that can either swallow us, or create a strength and serenity in us that would not have been learned in any other environment.  Cooperation with the Lord will bring these traits to us.  Do not hurry yourself through these places.  We are building endurance and character for another season. If we do not learn this now, we will not be prepared for the later things.

For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12:11