When we think of gifts, most of us think of giving or receiving one. Rarely do we think of ourselves as the gift to give. A focus on one of the many names for the One who created us may help in this regard.

The divine descriptive, Adonai, means owner of my life, the One who gives gifts and equips. In Him, I am not my own because I have been bought with a price, the blood of the Lamb! My spirit, soul, and body belong to Him and I love and serve Him as a supernatural result.

This position and condition of relationship with our Creator opens a special package of His potential goodness that can be unleashed for the benefit of those around us; many in need and longing to receive. The question then becomes – How will we do that? The answer is simple, but certainly not ready made or easy.

Acknowledging God as our divine heredity and life source is step one. A personal assessment identifying our unique gifts and talents is step two. Step three is to encourage ourselves, as God leads, to appropriately share our gifts with others. For example, ….

 — the high school math whiz who can tutor maybe one or two struggling  kids in the neighborhood.

— the “Vinny Laser Vision” who can shoot free throws and give some shooting tips to the kids playing on the neighborhood basketball court.

— the handy Andy willing to tackle neighborhood jobs for fees he can pledge to the Salvation Army.

— the painter or sculptor or ceramicist can offer classes in their studios to those who want some know how to discover their own inner artistry.

— the believer doesn’t have to be a theologian to recite scripture to people wanting to hear the language of extraordinary truth.

Get the idea? God is generous with his gifts. He creates athletes, carpenters, plumbers, tool and dye makers, auto mechanics, watchmakers, sailors, singers, seamstresses, tailors, singers, dancers, orators, actors, ballerinas. He created you and me and He gave us unique talents or traits. They can be converted not just for making a livelihood but for making a better world, a better city, a better community.

Let’s take time and look within, discover our gift(s) and put it or them into action for others to receive. In the process, we just might discover something of inestimable value we didn’t realize we possessed. It may bring us closer to our neighbors, to ourselves, and to the awesome God who created us. It may transform us into being an even better gift to give!

James 1:17; Ps 68:18; Rom 12:6; 1 Cor 12:4; Eph 4:8; Rom 12:1-2; John 10:10;

Heb 11:6