I counsel many people who struggle because of words that were spoken to them as children. Certainly, God can use that for good as He helps them find their identity in Him, but how sad when our kids must overcome our parenting, and not remember it with gratitude. How about you? Do you spend most of your time criticizing and correcting your children or do you remember to give encouragement, as well? Your kids will be grown before you know it. How will they remember you? Even if they know you love them, do they believe you like them?
God gifts us all differently and those differences not only enable us to do a variety of things, but they will also cause us to see things from different perspectives. Even in ministry, we may disagree. And as with Paul and Barnabas, those disagreements can cause us to go in different directions. But when understood rightly, just as in Paul’s illustration of the body in 1 Corinthians 12, people with different visions can not only work together but complement each other.
All believers receive at least one spiritual gift at the time of their salvation and more often several in varying amounts. Do you know your spiritual gifts and are you using them for God’s glory?
And from our Old Testament reading:
Are there times when you feel completely overwhelmed by the circumstances in your life? Read about a man who was completely outnumbered in battle and how he turned to the Lord in prayer.
