To Leave No Question of His Gift

As I watched her sing, it was hard not to be jealous. The notes seemed to fall without effort, each one perfectly placed in a pleasing ebb and flow, beckoning me to listen, soothing my spirit. Her passion proved she believed what she sang and I marveled at the beauty emanating from her. "What a gift," I thought, blinking back tears. Wow.

I always thought I wanted to be the best at something, to be recognized as a stand out in any field, but in that moment, I realized what I've really desired is to be so good at something others would have to know it came from God. Imagine. What would it be like to possess such skill that people could not help but see Him?

The potential is in all of us. The Bible says all believers are given a gift by the Holy Spirit. Why don't we all shine like that? Too often those gifts aren't obvious or public and we dismiss them as insignificant or unimportant. Or because they come easy to us, we think they are no big deal. When we devalue them, do we neglect them? If we think our gift is minor, do we fail to exercise it?

Any master has spent years honing their strengths. No one achieves any level of proficiency without effort. My singing friend has been doing it her whole life. Did she always sound so heavenly? Probably not. It took years of practice. Likewise, our gifts need exercising. Any area of gifting needs to be worked out to reach the point where God is clearly seen. Can we expect to display His supernatural touch if we ignore or downplay our talent?

I have a friend who says her gift is service. And BOY does she exercise it. That woman is always going. She makes me tired just watching her. She finds joy in doing whatever she can to help others. There must be days she'd rather hole up in her house, but she doesn't. Whenever a need arises, she finds a way to meet it, without thought to her inconvenience, without complaining. She sees it as a challenge and takes it on with gusto. The light in her eyes, the smile that accompanies her in every task seems so unnatural, yet draws others in. It is beautiful and I recognize a divine touch on her. There is only one explanation for her joy and ceaseless energy. By using her gift in even the slightest way she points others to God. She would not think her gift anything extraordinary, yet her consistent use of it, her continual practice has shaped a beautiful picture of God.

If we consistently use our gifts, won't we clearly display beauty like that? Won't others notice? When we work at them, gaining greater proficiency every day, will we leave no question of His touch on us?

Are you with me? Do you want your work to count like that, to make that kind of statement? Don't neglect the gift God's placed in you, my friend, no matter how small you think it is. Use it. Work at it. Others will notice your consistency and be pointed to the only explanation. Leave no question.