GIFTS

This morning, I had the privilege of listening to about gifts that you have received that have impacted your life.  As I reflected on this, I have thought about the gifts that have impacted my life.  Today, I am going to share three of the many gifts that I have received.  Some of them are recent, some not so recent.

The first gift that I want to talk about is the gift of being grounded.  I received this from a friend of mine that I often dream and talk about future goals with.  He doesn't come right out and say it but based on what he says, at the end of the day, his decisions remain grounded on his faith and values.

In 2 Timothy 2:15, we are told, "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth." If we ground ourselves in the values of God and present ourselves as individuals that are working in His word, His truth, then the rest will take care of itself.

The second gift to share is of a positive attitude.  The friend that I received this from, sees positivity in every situation, even when others don't see it.  It's not jus the fact of having the positive attitude but sharing it and getting others to buy into that vision.  It's one thing to have positivity, but if you can find a way to share it with others, that is when something awesome can happen.

In Philippians 4:8, we are told, "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."  People waste so much energy and time on thinking and living in a world of negativity.  We need to start thinking positively and things will change for the best.  In Philippians, they tell us to think about the positive things, yet we still choose to think negatively, it doesn't make sense.  We can either be fertilizer or Round-Up.  Let's stay positive and help others grow, and not be the Round-Up in people's lives.

And the last gift that I am going to talk about, is the gift of faith.  I received this gift half way around the world from a group of people shining light in a dark place.  These people, that have become great friends, live their lives in faith.  All things are going to happen though Jesus, and we have to trust that.  My wife recently shared with me after being gone for 10 days that she noticed a change in me.  She shared that no matter the situation, I stay calm, that I have faith that things will work out. 

Mark 11:22-24 tells us, "And Jesus answered them, 'Have faith in God.  Truly, I say to you, whoever says to a mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.  Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.'"  We need to have faith, not only in God but in God's Word.  But even when we believe it, we have to pray on it in prayer and in thanksgiving.  Huge factor, give thanks for the things you have already received.

Now, these are not all the gifts I have received in my life, but what I am asking you to do is to reflect on some of the gifts that you have received, and in gratitude, think about those have impacted and changed your life.  If you have moved away from those gifts, get back to them.  They were given to you for a reason, so use them.