Serving God with Your Gifts

“My sons, do not be negligent now,  for the Lord has chosen you to stand before Him and serve Him, to minister before Him and to burn incense.”  2 Chronicles 29:11

This was part of my devotional reading a few days ago, and it brings me back to spiritual gifts once again.  The King Hezekiah is speaking here to the priests and Levites.  The previous King Ahaz was wicked and had kept them from performing their duties in the temple;  now Hezekiah intends to set things right.  He reminds them that they have been chosen to serve God and should return to the special tasks they’ve been assigned.

God has chosen us to be his children and to serve Him.  In order to do that, He gave every one of us at least one spiritual gift.  If we don’t use those gifts, we’re not only being negligent, we’re being disobedient and ungrateful to the Giver!  Listen to what the apostle Paul has to say:

“We have different gifts according to the grace given us.  If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it proportion to his faith.  If it is serving, let him serve;  if it is teaching, let him teach;  if it is encouraging, let him encourage;  if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously;  if it is leadership, let him govern diligently;  if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.”  Romans 12:6-8

So my question to myself (and to each of our readers) today is this:  how am I using my own spiritual gifts?  A gift that is left unopened is of no use at all.  Don’t be negligent — use your gifts in the service of the one Who gave them.