Romans 12:4-8 NLT
̈Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. 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. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.¨

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT

God formed us with a purpose, but we need to be willing to give Him our best in order to fulfill it. God doesn’t want us to envy what others have or focus on the abilities we don’t have. He wants us to focus on the gifts and talents He placed within us when He created us.

The human being best performs when he is highly motivated. If he’s not motivated in what he’s doing or with the tasks that are delegated to him it becomes frustrating. God wants you to shine and reach your maximum potential to put your life at His service.

LET`S GO DEEPER

Here are a few practical tips so that with the help of the Lord, you could grow in your gifts and talents and be able to give God your very best.

1. EVALUATE THE GIFTS AND RESOURCES YOU ALREADY HAVE

“For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” (Romans 12:3)

Take some time to think about what you ́re good at and what you ́re not. It’s important for you to make a list of the strengths God has placed inside you. This will help you clarify what He wants you to be, and help you focus on what will give you results.
The best way to discover your gifts and abilities is by experimenting in different areas of service in the church. Until you don’t get involved in serving, you won’t be able to clearly identify what you ́re good at.
Church is the perfect place to put your gifts and talents at His service; apart from being blessed, you are the channel of blessing for the new believers who want to have an experience with God.
Remember that wherever you serve in the house of God (as a cell group leader, welcoming the people, in media, logistics, as a host/usher, in children’s ministry, worship, etc), you will be making known to others the message of Jesus.

2. GOD PUT THE BEST OF HIMSELF IN YOU

God formed you special and unique so that you could fulfill His purpose. A lot of the time we tend to compare ourselves to others and try to change the way God made us. But first, we need to have a grateful heart. Second, understand that God made us in His image and likeness when He, with so much effort, put unique virtues in our lives to put them at His service.

Satan will try to steal your joy of serving God in two ways: tempting you to compare your life and calling to others ́ expectations, and pushing you to conform yourself to them.

One of the reasons the Apostle Paul was greatly used by God was because he did not allow himself to be distracted by the criticism or comparison of his ministry. We need to understand that Jesus takes both criticism and compliments to the Cross of Calvary so that we are not distracted or affected by them. However, it is a determination from our part to let go of everything that keeps us from moving forward and conquering.

3. ACTIVATE THE GIFTS GOD HAS GIVEN YOU

The parable of the talents teaches us that God is always waiting for us to give Him our best. He is waiting for us to multiply ourselves and grow the gifts He has placed within us. We need to cultivate our abilities and gifts, maintaining our hearts motivated and full of passion to do God’s will and enlarge His kingdom. This is how we ́ll be able to give God the very best of us through serving Him.

If you don’t exercise, your muscles weaken and can even cause serious health and mobility problems. In the same way, if you don’t use (exercise) the abilities and gifts God put in you, you will easily lose them. Whatever the gift is, it can grow and develop inside you, but this only happens through practice. Don’t settle for developing a gift halfway; put in all of your effort to learn as much as you can. Take advantage of every opportunity to train and grow so that you can develop your abilities, gifts and talents. God wants to use you in a big and awesome way!

PRAYER

• Give your cell group a few minutes to make a list of the abilities, gifts and talents they think they can put at God’s service.
• Guide them in prayer to visualize the Cross of Calvary and confess with honesty the things the enemy has put in their way to hold them back and distract them (laziness, being tired, unmotivated, settling for less than the best, failure, frustration, low self-esteem, comparison, competition, etc).
• Remind them that the cross is like a magnet that attracts to itself everything bad that limits us, and where we obtain the miracle of the exchange. The cross is where Jesus gives us the best of Himself.
• With the list they made, guide them in a prayer to apply the blood that Jesus shed from His hands over their lives, declaring that the Holy Spirit is the One who brings to life the gifts, talents and abilities that were buried for a long time. Declare together that God breathes life to awaken His power within you.
• To finish, it’s important that everyone make a commitment with God to always give Him their best to serve Him and be that channel of blessing to enlarge His kingdom.