All Scripture is taken from the New King James
Version of the Bible
When God created us, He created each one of us very unique and different from anyone else. There is no one else exactly like you or I. Even twins are different from each other. “For in fact the body is not one member but many. If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,’ is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.” (2 Corinthians 12:14-18). We did not choose or place ourselves in the Body of Christ. God knew where He wanted each one of us to be, and what role He wanted us to achieve.
Therefore, each of us in the Body of Christ has
been given gifts and talents which are to be used to exhort and encourage each
other. Paul speaks of these different
gifts throughout his writings.
“Having then gifts differing
according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if
prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let
us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who
exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with
diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.” (Romans 12:6-8).
Even
if we may have the same ability in terms of talents as another person, the Lord
does not expect us to accomplish the same results, as each of us is living with
different circumstances. We are the ones who put unrealistic expectations upon
ourselves by comparing ourselves with those who we could – in no way – ever measure up to. Paul speaks
to this issue in his Epistle to the Corinthian church. “For we dare not class
ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they,
measuring themselves by themselves, are not wise.” (2 Corinthians 10:12).
Each of us have been
given different abilities, gifts and talents. God, being wise, has chosen who
should have what gift, and He has done so according to our natural abilities – the ones He placed within us when He created us. Yet,
so often, instead of accepting and using the gift or gifts we have been given
to fulfill the Lord’s purpose in our lives, we become distracted by wishing we
could be someone else, or do something else. Or we wonder why we were only
given one gift when those around us were given more, to do more with. We say, “I wish I could” instead of saying,
“I’m going to do what I can.”
In the “My Utmost for His Highest Devotional” for January 26, Oswald
Chambers makes this statement, “Consecration is the act of continually
separating myself from everything except that which God has appointed us to
do.” That statement really struck me,
firstly, because it just happened to be on my birthday. It also caused me to
think of how God has a specific plan and purpose for our lives, or we would not
be alive today.
How true this is in my own life, as due to complications before and
during birth, I could have died. There have also been several times throughout
my life when I have come very close to passing away, such as the times my body developed
sepsis and went into septic shock. But no matter how serious my condition
became, I always came back, even though sometimes it took months before I was back
to where I was before I went septic. One of my favorite verses says, “For I
know the thoughts I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not
of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11).
The second thought I
had as I read Oswald Chambers’ statement was how we are responsible to live out
the life which the Lord has entrusted to us, which includes being faithful to
fulfill the calling the Lord has placed upon our lives. We need to focus on the specific calling and
gifts which the Lord has placed in our lives, and push everything else
aside. I know that in this day and age, when
we are bombarded by so many things that keep us going in so many different
directions, how hard it is to focus on just one or two areas. But I believe
this is exactly what Oswald Chambers is saying.
I have often thanked the Lord for my limitations of living in a
wheelchair, as it has enabled me to focus on and develop my gift of writing.
Today, I live in Long Term Care, which provides activities for the residents to
be involved in. If I were to let myself, I could be sidetracked from my
calling, by participating in all the different activities which other residents
are participating in. But, most of the time, I stay in my room and work on my
writing.
We all need to learn
to walk in our specific callings as Paul tells the Ephesians. “For we are His workmanship, created in
Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk
in them.” (Ephesians 2:10). The Lord has
prepared us with gifts and talents when He created us. It is our responsibility to use them to their
fullest potential. Paul also encouraged
Timothy to “stir up the gift which is in you.” (2 Timothy 1:6).
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