Using Our Strengths
“All those who were skilled among the workers made the tabernacle with ten curtains of finely twisted linen, and blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, with cherubims woven into them by expert hands” (Exodus 36:8).
The artisans were able to use their God-given gifts to help build the Tabernacle. God has also given each of us gifts that we can use to fulfill our God-given purposes.
Knowing our weaknesses is vitally important but it’s also critical to focus on our strength. When our work responsibilities align with our God-given abilities, we are in the jet stream of accomplishment. We are far more creative, more energetic, more relaxed, and more willing to help others who need a hand.
Some of us may have felt stuck at dead-end jobs for years and we have lost hope of ever finding something that fulfills us. Certainly, God can take us through valleys to teach us lessons, but life need not be a perpetual valley. We cannot be passive. We must take the initiative to discover our talents and use them with all our hearts. It’s not optional. Some day we will stand before God to give an account of how we spend the days of our lives. On that day, we will give an account of how we used the gifts He gave us.
Every gift is important. Even seemingly insignificant ones are urgently needed. As Paul reminds us, "The head cannot say to the feet, 'I don't need you!'” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable" (1 Cor. 12:21-22).
Every one of us has a place. Some people have the gift of showing mercy. Others lead and encourage to get the best out of others. Another is teaching. Not everybody is made to teach. We need to recognize God blesses us with these gifts that make us excel at what we do.
Just like the artisans, everyone has a function, and it may not be the same. My liver does not do what my feet do – all body parts have a function. If you are in the body, you have a function. There are no useless organs. Let us use our gifts to serve the body as a whole.
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