Areas of success, areas of struggle

“Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them.” Romans 12:6 NKJV

The Bible teaches that God gives each of us certain gifts and the grace to use them. And when we are not operating in our area of giftedness, we struggle. We need to keep that in mind when we see a great achiever or become a great achiever ourselves. Paul spoke five languages and wrote half the New Testament, but he constantly struggled with what he referred to as a “thorn in the flesh.” When he prayed and asked God to remove it, God said no. “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). So we need grace in the areas of our gifting and grace for the areas in which we’re not gifted at all. The story is told of a man who went to hear a great speaker and ended up seated beside the speaker’s wife. During the speech, the man noticed that the great speaker had monogrammed socks. Intrigued by this, he looked closer and saw that instead of the usual two or three initials were the letters “TGIF.” When the speech was over, he complimented the speaker, then turned to the speaker’s wife and said, “How come your husband’s socks say, ‘TGIF: Thank Goodness It’s Friday?’” She replied, “Oh, that’s not what those letters mean; the monograms are there to help him get dressed. They stand for Toes Go In First.” As long as you live, you will soar in some areas and struggle in others. And you will find that God’s grace is sufficient for any challenge you face. And that’s the word for you today.

Bible in a year: Luke 2:25-52 and Psalm 16-17