GRACE GIFTS
We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us…
Romans 12:6a (NIV)
Have you ever received a gift you felt was undeserved? Maybe it was too extravagant, too thoughtful or at a time when you felt utterly unworthy. That kind of gift leaves a mark.
Spiritual gifts are like that. They aren’t rewards for good behavior or spiritual performance. They're given out of the overflow of God’s love for us. Paul reminds us in Romans that our gifts come according to the grace given to each of us. Grace is God’s undeserved kindness, freely given, and He doesn’t distribute it based on status, talent or background.
This means your gift—encouraging others, teaching, serving or leading—isn’t something you have to prove yourself worthy of. It’s something you humbly receive and faithfully use. When we understand that our gifting is grace-based, we stop striving to be someone else and start embracing how God uniquely shaped us. And just like grace, spiritual gifts aren’t about us—they're for others. God didn't gift you to impress the world. He gifted you to bless it.
APPLICATION: Take a few minutes today to reflect on how you naturally serve or bless others. What do people often thank you for? Don’t dismiss it – it might be precisely the gift God wants to grow in you. Instead of looking at others' strengths and feeling less than them, thank God for how He's uniquely designed you. Then, ask Him how you can use your gift this week to show grace to someone else.
PRAYER: Gracious God, thank You for the gifts You've placed in me. I didn’t earn them, but I receive them with gratitude. Show me how You’d like me to utilize the gifts You’ve given to reflect my love for You. Amen.
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?