Use your gift

“God has given each of you a gift.” 1 Peter 4:10 NLT

The Bible says, “God has given each of you a gift from his great variety…Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God” (vv. 10-11 NLT). You may not be fortunate enough to work at a job that utilizes your gifts, but you should at least be moving in that direction. Paul worked as a tentmaker to finance his calling as a preacher. So if you know you’re a creative person with aptitude for design and visual arts and you’re currently exasperated by your accounting job, it may be time to reconsider your career goals. If you like to solve problems and enjoy information technology but you’re currently working as a pastry chef, it’s time to step back and reassess. You may not be able to make a living using your foremost gifts right away and have to work in an unrelated field for a while. That’s okay, but your sights must stay set on following God’s calling. Moses spent two-thirds of his life getting ready for his real assignment leading the children of Israel into the promised land. God never wastes experience. Often the wisdom you glean from a job you don’t want equips you to succeed in the one you do—the one God has chosen for you. So keep growing and keep believing God. Then, when He opens the door, you will be ready to walk through it.

Bible in a year: Exodus 19-21