Use What Your Daddy Gave You

The Apostle Paul shows us four things, as it relates to our gifts—to lift up and recognize and to be used for Him and others. 

1.  Everyone has a measure of faith—to work in concert with their gift.

Romans 12:3 “For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” (NKJV)

Faith for giving comes with the gift of giving. It’s not hard for you to believe for resources—you have faith for the gift that is inside of you. You don’t need all of the faith because you don’t have all of the gifts. You just need the measure that works for you.

2. Everyone has a specific function.

The differences in our gifts makes us unique, whole, and unified. There is no difference in value—only in function. When we compare our gifts, we might say, “I can’t do it like that” and we sit down on our gifts. You don’t have to do it like everyone else because the way you do it makes it valuable.

Romans 12:4-5 “4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.” (NKJV)

3.  Everyone has a special grace.

Gift is the word charisma—it’s a spiritual endowment, a divine gratuity.  A gratuity means over and above to bless or show appreciation—given without claim or demand. You did not work for—you did could not command; God decided to give you a little extra because of who He is.

Grace is part of the same root where we get charisma—it means gracious kindness.  God gave freely in extending His favor. God has given each of us a grace that manifest itself through a gift.

Romans 12:5-6 “5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6 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;” (NKJV)

4.  Everyone has a spiritual responsibility.

You and I have been given a spiritual endowment—there is an expectation to use it. The expectation is, I have made you, I have gifted you, I have reached down and graced you and the least you would do is use your gift.

“When our great God reached down and gave us a gift—He expects us to appreciate it and use it.”—Dr. D’Ann Johnson

Romans 12:6 “6 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;” (NKJV)

The Seven Gifts (motivational gifts).

1.  Prophecy

2.  Ministry

3.  Teaching

4.  Exhortation

5.  Giving

6.  Leading

7.  Mercy

Romans 12:7-8 “7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.” (NKJV)

It’s our responsibility to activate our gift.

1. We have to discover our gift.
2. We have to develop our gift.
3. We have to deploy our gift.

“You and I will never use what we don’t know we have”—Dr. D’Ann Johnson