“WE HAVE DIFFERENT GIFTS, ACCORDING TO THE GRACE GIVEN TO EACH OF US.” —ROMANS 12:6 (NIV)
If you are a believer, you have a specific function in the body of Christ. There’s something about you that no other human being can duplicate, an impact you have on people’s lives that no one else can have.
That’s your gift, the Creator’s call upon your life.
Another word for call is vocation. Vocation is our life’s work, how we occupy our time on this earth. The reformer Martin Luther called vocation a “mask” for God.
Behind every occupation and role in life hides the heart of God. Beneath the grease and grime of an auto mechanic, the love of Christ works. Behind the white coat of a doctor, the love of God heals and comforts. A mother who scrubs her way through housework and diapers glorifies God through her service to her family.
Martin Luther is often quoted, “A dairy maid can milk cows to the glory of God.”
God does not need our works, but He longs to bless those who are needy through us. However, our greatest gifts can only be fully used and realized when our relationship inspires them with our Lord.
Remember wise and wealthy King Solomon of ancient Israel? His most outstanding achievement was not building the temple or the wealthy, beautiful nation over which he reigned.
Solomon’s greatest accomplishments were his encounters with God, when he knew His love and experienced His indescribable glory. These experiences are what made his outstanding achievements possible. You can be a gift from God to the world when you allow Him to reveal Himself through you, like love poured out through a flawed, but very beloved vessel.
