This morning I woke up with 60 people. Six of them I know intimately, seven I know well, and the rest I love dearly and desire to know better. I rolled off the top bunk in the men’s room and went down to breakfast. I love waking up every day and letting God fill in every detail. And He does it so well.
At breakfast I sat alone, just enjoying my time when my brother Kevin (one of the guys I desire to know better), sat across from me. I love looking back on today and remembering that neither of us had any idea of what our conversation would hold. We caught up, talked about our last couple months, and then the Lord prompted us to share our stories. There’s no better way to get to know someone than to sit down and here about what has made them into the man or woman that stands before you.
When we finished with our stories, he spoke. He spoke with great truth and wisdom from the Lord and reminded me of my gift from the Lord-the gift of joy. I’m not saying this to gloat, for the joy in my heart is the joy of the Lord. The joy that I had before I knew Christ was a broken joy. It was a selfish joy that fed off of self-gratification and compliments from other people. A young boy only satisfied if people around him made him feel worthwhile. But today I sit before this computer a man equipped with a true joy from the Lord. It’s a joy that doesn’t falter when things go wrong, or if I am rebuked. This joy stands firm, because it is a characteristic of my Father that lives in me. And as my Father stands firm, so does His Spirit in me.
Kevin went on to say that when we become sons and daughters of the most high, we all carry different characteristics of Him. While I am blessed to have received a supernatural joy and compassion for men, Kevin holds a gentle wisdom that can only be explained by God. God gives him insight where He gives me joy. He may give you great faith while He gives your sister great discernment and visions.
As this sunk in, I was freed from the spirit of comparison in my faith.
As the body of Christ, we all carry different weapons and traits that the others don’t have. This changes things. When Justin walks into a room, he brings the joy of the Lord. But when the Body walks into a room, the Kingdom of Heaven falls and together we are equipped to serve the Lord. I get to bring joy to people. Kevin gets to bring insight and wisdom, and my other brothers and sisters bring faith, courage, love, discernment, healing, and prophecy. It’s actually being the body and that’s what we’re doing in Central America and will continue to do in Thailand in the next month.
If you’ve never asked the Lord what your gifting’s are, ask Him. Let Him show you how special He created you and how He wants to use you in His Body. Accept this truth: You were created for something more than to just gratify yourself. As you are equipped with God’s characteristics, you are charged to use them for His Kingdom. He is faithful. He is so good. He is so worth it.
