The gifts and calling of God are irrevocable. I am the same today in my spiritual gifts as when I was a small child.
As a child, I used my gifts for my purposes. But today, I use my gifts to build up, not to tear down, to encourage and not to destroy. In fourth grade, I started a block newspaper for my neighborhood. I wanted to unify our neighborhood and help build community. I wanted people to be encouraged and to know each other and know what was going on. I also was very business-minded. I sold my newspaper for ten cents. I typed it. I was innovative—a pioneer. It had never been done before. I had paved the way for a newspaper. Interestingly enough, I ended up writing many newsletters after that.
Today I write books, speak, and share. My vision is still to see the body of Christ unified. My purposes are different. I believe in a strife-free environment. I want people to reveal love to one another, to forgive one another, to forget quickly, and not to hold grudges against one another or live in bitterness. It is a painful chain around your ankle to carry bitterness everywhere you go.
The gifts and callings are irrevocable. You have them regardless of what side of the fence you are on. You can use them for evil, and you can use them for good. Let’s say you often use your voice to complain and tear down. That same gift is called exhorting. It’s an exhortation gift. You can use that to tear down and destroy others. If you use it for God’s purposes, it’s used to redirect, to encourage, and to build up. We all know that tearing down never makes us winners. It’s the building up and encouraging that brings us to victory.
What gifts do you have that you have been using for the wrong purposes? Turn those around, shake them up, and get them right. Use them to bring good and God’s glory to this earth.
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