Nougat 8

Got purpose? Then tap into God’s spiritual gifts seems to be the point of today’s Holy Nougat

“In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.”

Romans 12:6 NLT

Yesterday we spoke at length about God as Spirit. It is this concept that influenced the description of the special gifts for enhancing ministry, spiritual gifts. Because like God’s Spirit, the gifts are not bound to race, class, status or place. It is however, from God to us, for God’s glory.

So if spiritual gifts are from God; we might ask, wily do we have so much issues with the giftings? I would say it goes back to the problem of sin. Sin, because us humans, our ambition didn’t rest with knowing God and carrying God’s DNA; we also wanted to Be God. And that has plagued us over the ages. It may be moments where like Moses, we allow frustration to get the best of us. Next, he started seeing what ‘he’ had done for the children of Israel and forgot that God Almighty is the Source.

We also get skeptical when the gifts manifested in persons around us are distorted or abused. Distorted by our other actions that wage war with God’s Spirit. So we begin to think the worst, often condemning the person, allowing no room for repentance, and failing to pray for them. How many we might have brought back from the brink of disaster had we taken the time to pray?!

Inasmuch as we allow ourselves to become distracted by human nature; many of us still yearn for more. For our human selves still carry God’s DNA. Moreover, these gifts of God’s Spirit carry authority, power, charisma and substance . They are somewhat noticeable as they point to God, not us.

My understanding of the Nougat, which might be extremely flawed on this issue, is that each and every one of us has been blessed with at least One spiritual gift. (Remember the parable of the talents in Matthew 25 and Luke 19? I think it’s kinda like that). We are expected to carry out our own mission according to God’s will. Our spiritual gifts help us to fulfill God’s plan for us.

In the Old Testament we see saints empowered by God’s Spirit at specific times to fulfill God’s purpose. I think of Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Deborah, Saul, David and of course the prophets being visibly transformed under God’s Spirit. After Jesus public ministry had been launched, the disciples got a foretaste of the power of the anointing when they were commissioned two by two (see Luke 9:1-5 and 10:1-9). Yet, with all they experienced then, and saw manifested by Jesus Himself; Jesus promised even greater works. And that’s the dispensation under which we fall.

Before exploring the gifts at our disposal, we’ll look at the expectations of having the gift (the parable of the talents); as well as the sending (of the disciples). Until then, I pray we are open to the gifts of God’s Spirit for the fulfillment of our purpose.

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May all we seek be found in Christ