Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of
the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
James 1:17

I've written about gifts in many different posts before... so I'll spare you
the usual plea about "get out there and use your gifts -- it's what God
wants us to do!" That's good advice... but not where I want to focus.

What speaks to me about this verse is the last part -- our God, who does not
change like shifting shadows. We talk a lot about how our God is eternal,
and I have always focused on the fact that "eternal" means God has been
around forever... not so much that He doesn't change. In the world we see,
people and organizations change and evolve -- many times for the better.
But our God does not change -- He is already perfect and requires no
further evolution.

What's kind of crazy about this... a perfect God has given us good and
perfect gifts. So the old "use your gifts" message may ring hollow
sometimes, but think of it this way: God made a perfect decision to give you
the gifts you have. It was meant for you, with eternal foresight and
hindsight as evidence that you are the one who needed that specific gift.
You could argue that it's one thing that's perfect about us, who are
otherwise very imperfect people.

This is why it is wrong for us to be jealous of others' gifts -- the gifts
we have been given are perfect and require no change.

Be God's -- every day.

        

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
2 Timothy 1:6-7

God made us all different people with different gifts. Praise God for that. And some people were made a little bit more on the shy side (you know who you are).

Paul is pretty clear to Timothy (who was a more shy guy) in the passage above: you may be shy, but your spiritual gift(s) is not. God's power is released through the gift you have been given, and we can release that power boldly..

It's fun to watch this in action every year on the senior high mission trip. Some of the most shy youth I've ever met can transform into bold agents of God when they find a way to use their gifts. We remind them: you never know what God is doing in this community and the lives of those we serve -- through YOU.

Let God do His powerful work through you, as you express the gifts given to you.

Be God's -- every day.

        

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:1

This is one of those verses I remember not liking much. As a teen in particular, these sorts of statements seem so high ad lofty. And certainly as a teenager we all felt a little condemned at times, right?

As I have gotten a little older, though, I've come to interpret this verse a little differently. As a Christian, I know I have an eternal life with God the Father in Heaven. I am saved. This provides the hope I need to know that on Earth, all that happens is just fleeting. Even if I meet condemnation on Earth, I am not condemned through the hope I have in Christ.

We all face difficult times and difficult people that will beat us down a bit. But the promise of eternal life makes that such a small thing. Our hope in Christ means we cannot be condemned.

Be God's -- every day.

        

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
John 15:4

We focus a lot on the fruit we bear. Whether it is our work, our families, our other activities... We think a lot about our mark on the world and how we make that impact.

This is a good thing. God wants us to be focused on helping others, or raising our families. The Bible is filled with stories about being a servant, so this is what God intends.

However, we can quickly get carried away with what WE can do. It becomes about OUR mark on the world, and what our individual gifts can provide. Christ tells us that we must remain in Him -- attached to the vine -- so that we can bear fruit. It's not about us. It's about the quality of the fruit. And it takes Christ to generate that.

We do this by being true in our intentions, giving glory to God. We also must be focused on discerning His will, ad letting ourselves be His instruments..

Be God's -- every day.

        

He is the Rock, his works are perfect,and all his ways are just.A faithful God who does no wrong,upright and just is he.
Deuteronomy 32:4

So just to be clear after yesterday's post... God made the wrong in this world. But He isn't wrong in making it.

He has a reason, and in His justice and full comprehension of our world even what we see as "bad" is a part of God's master plan.

When you face trials, remember that God is in control... And has something in mind for you.

Be God's -- every day.

        

When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future.
Ecclesiastes7:14

This is one of those tough concepts. God is not the eternal sugar daddy who just rains on us great things. And all of the bad in the world us not the workings of some other God at eternal war with the Lord. God is the God of all. He created the bad!

What? Why? Why wouldn't God make a perfect world.

Oh yeah. He did. Then we all got involved. Man and Woman took it upon themselves to attain something not meant for them, and the world changed as a result.

God uses the "bad" things in mysterious ways. He shapes us and molds us into the people He wants us to be. And the trying times are a part of this plan.

Have faith that God owns both the good and the bad, and all things proceed by His will.

Be God's -- every day.

P.S. Sorry I'm a little late today. Caught in the midst of a travel nightmare...

        

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.
1 Peter 4:10

This verse is something we hear a lot (and I write about pretty often): use your gifts. God has blessed us each with special talents that we are called to use.

Ok. I get it.

Sometimes, though, people can be quick to assume that gifts are a "churchy" thing. In other words, we see the church as our avenue to express our gifts. However, Paul's letter to Peter includes an interesting phrase at the end: administering God's grace in its various forms.

This certainly isn't confined to the church! God's grace can be shared and attested to in different ways. ALL gifts are from Him, and all our acts can give praise and honor to Him. Even beyond the church.

How will you use your gifts today to give God honor and show His grace?

Be God's -- every day.

        

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6

I really struggle with the first part of this. All of my life I've been told I'm a pretty smart guy. I'm reasonably well educated, and I continue to learn more and more every day. When I don't already know something, I ask good questions or seek out answers -- google is my beat friend.

But sometimes we just can't know the answer. My wife and I have some experience with some things that are literally on the edge of human understanding. I can ask the leading expert "Why" and her response is simply "We don't know. We are at the limits of our technology." That's an answer I have a hard time accepting!

But it has caused us to take a different path of inquiry. "God, what do you want from this?" It's not about me knowing why something I happening and what to do about it. It's about knowing that God is in control and will direct us down the path He has intended.

Now, I don't think this means we should all stop thinking and inquiring. It just means recognizing that we won't understand everything, but that we can trust God to have it in control.

Seek knowledge. But know that the truth ultimately lies with God the Creator, who loves us and can be trusted.

Be God's -- every day.

        

Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.
Proverbs 3:3-4

It's pretty normal to think about your reputation. We all want to leave a mark on this world, be it primarily with our family or beyond.

We can be known for a lot of things. Unfortunately, for many people, the pursuit of "great things" can cause us to lose our way, and we ultimately become known for something else. Mark McGuire wanted to be known ass great baseball player and home run king. But he will likely be remembered most for the baseball steroid scandal.

This Proverb says that if we focus on leaving a legacy of love and faithfulness. Pursuing these things won't lead us astray, and in fact will find favor with both man and God.

Let love and faithfulness rule our pursuits, so that we'll be known for these things. May we all leave a legacy of being a good and faithful servant.

Be God's -- every day.

        

There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Galatians 3:28-29

Notice that bad drivers and Packer fans were not mentioned. :)

The list of "types" above includes all of the controversial ones of the day. This was a radical statement. All of the non-free, "unclean," un-empowered were being equated to the enlightened and blessed.

Of course, this truth in God's eyes wasn't exactly a reality in that time. Nor would it become one for a long time -- or ever. The evils of discrimination and prejudice can still be seen in all of us. WE are the chosen ones. MY people are not terrorists, but THOSE people are. OUR church has got it all figured out, so THIS is how to do it.

What a different world we would have if we could all get passed the biases we bring against others and saw them as the equals God created them to be. We are ONE in Christ, with no boundaries or prejudices.

Be God's -- every day.