And He gave gifts to men (Ephesians 4:8).

Christmas is right around the corner and many of us are busy with shopping, making goodies, and buying gifts for friends and loved ones; and while we place our focus on the nice things we will be doing for others, why not take a minute to reflect on the things God has given to us individually? Certainly, the greatest of all gifts is Jesus, but God didn’t stop there; He has equipped each and every one of us with special traits and abilities not found in another human being, making each and every one of us fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). Those gifts and abilities are not only within us for His divine will and purposes, but they are there to bring Him glory. He has called us to manifest His power and to walk in the fullness of His blessing. So, ask yourself, what has He placed inside of you that not only makes you fearfully and wonderfully made, but brings Him glory you can manifest for the world?

Are you an amazing parent? Are you a talented artist? Do you give the best advice? Are you a powerful prayer warrior? Do you encourage the hurting? Do you lend a hand to the less fortunate? Maybe you have the gift of dance, or you write anointed novels? Maybe your gift is faithfulness? Maybe you’re the one person in your sphere of influence everyone can count on to be available for a hug, or a listening ear, or a phone call during a crisis? Maybe you’re a dedicated employee who works for your employer as unto the Lord, or perhaps you make the most amazing pastries and pies? Maybe you’re a devoted public servant or you’re a fantastic motivational speaker?

The point is, God has given each one of us special talents and abilities and they matter to the world around us. Think about the movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life”.
If you have seen the movie then you know that George Bailey was convinced that he had no real purpose in life and he had nothing substantial to offer the world or the people around him. He was so convinced his life was useless he said he wished he had never been born and guess what? God allowed George to see the world around him without him in it, and it was a grave and depressing place without George. George couldn’t realize while he was alive how much impact his gifts and his kindness towards others had on the world around him. It wasn’t until he saw how dark life was for the people he deeply loved that he realized just how grim the world would be without him in it. It’s a powerful story of grace and redemption that really brings home just how valuable each and every one of us are to the plans of God and to the world we live in. If you haven’t watched the movie, place it on your watch list for this holiday season. You will definitely be encouraged.

So as we come to the close of this year and we begin to think about the next, what gifts has God given to you to manifest His glory and to be a light to those around you? And how are you going to use those gifts to be His representative in the earth for 2019? Please take a moment to comment below and thank you for your participation. We appreciate you and we are praying for you to be exactly who He made you to be. You are amazing and we love you!