Dr. Rebekah McCloud
Last Sunday, if you were here, you heard two messages. I want to take a few minutes to weave those two together and put a little extra, extra in there for you to think about.
Last week I told you that God has big hands. Pastor told us that all things work together for our good. I want to concentrate on the b section of that scripture and the two following verses. Romans 8:28-30 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.” Amen.
Let these words sink into your spirit: things work together for our good, those who love him, called to his purpose, predestined, conformed to his image, justified and glorified. There are a lot of promises and presents in these three verses. These verses are important to us as we walk in our role as stewards; especially when we focus on how we use our gifts and talents.
We all have talents and gift, if you will, that have been given to us by God. We know that these gifts and talents are just on loan to us and to be used for God’s purpose and for his glory. I sometimes hear people say they don’t have any gifts or talents. We all do, we just might not know what they are as of yet. If we look for our purpose, there we will find our gifts. Talk to God about it. Psalm 57:2 says, “I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me.” Amen.
Our heavenly father loves us so, that he gave something to each of us. Ephesians 1:11 says, “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.” We have an inheritance and a purpose from the Lord. Let’s get real for a minute. If someone passed away and left us an inheritance, would we hide it under a bush, or would we use it? I’m not going to ask anyone to raise their hand, I’d use mine.
This inheritance, our gifts and talents, was given to us a long, long time ago. 2 Timothy 1:9 says, “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.” If we believe that God knew us before we were in our mother’s womb, and he knows the number of hairs on our heads, and he knows our words before they are on our tongue, shouldn’t we believe that he knows about our gifts and talents? They were given to us by God, an inheritance of sort. Are we hiding them or using them?
Let me encourage us to step out in faith and use those many gifts and talents we have. Don’t worry about what we don’t have, focus on what we do have. I have a sister and two brothers. They all have different gifts than I do. My sister is a powerful and talented singer. I can’t carry a tune in a bucket. Singing is not one of my many gifts and talents. My oldest brother is a rapper. I don’t have the cadence required to rap. Rapping is not one of my many gifts and talents. My youngest brother is a builder. I recently learned the difference between a Philips head and a flat head screwdriver. Building is not one of my many gifts and talents. But, thank God he can use me in other ways.
Remember, God doesn’t call the qualified, he qualifies the ones he calls. Let me remind you of a few people from the Bible. God used all of them for his purpose.
Jacob was a cheater
Peter had a temper
David had an affair
Noah was a drunk
Jonah ran from God
Paul was a murder
Gideon was insecure
Miriam was a gossiper
Martha was a worrier
Thomas was a doubter
Sara was impatient
Elijah was moody
Mary Magdalene was a hooker
Moses stuttered
Zaccheus was short
Abraham was old, and
Lazarus was dead.[1]
God used all of them for his purpose. Now, if God can use a dead man, what about you, and you, and you and me? Remember, God has big hands. Just step out in faith and he’ll hold us up. Faint not! Remember also that all things work together for our good. What an awesome promise from God!
Let me leave you with this last scripture. Proverbs 18:16 says, “A man’s gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.” Let’s be a people called to his purpose and let 2020 be the year that we use all of our God-given gifts and talents.
[1] Source unknown.