A Prayer to Boldly Use Your Unique Set of Gifts
By: Whitney Hopler
Bible Reading:
“… I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” – 2 Timothy 1:6-7, ESV
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Inside you, right now, there is a gift from God. Your gift is a custom-designed mix of talents, passions, abilities, and personality traits that make you uniquely you. Perhaps your gift is teaching, and you have a unique way of making complex topics accessible and straightforward. Perhaps your gift is encouragement, and people always leave a conversation with you feeling more hopeful. Maybe it’s a gift of hospitality, administration, creativity, service, listening, or leadership.
Your Creator has given you a unique mix of gifts that no one else has. But are you using the gifts God has given you?
If not, it’s probably because of what these Bible verses mention: fear.
If you let the spirit of fear whisper lies to you, lots of excuses for not using your gifts can run through your mind: “What if I fail?”, “What will people think of me?”, “I’m not as good as that other person.”, “I don’t have time.”, “Someone else could do it better.” Fear tells you to play it safe by hiding your gifts so no one can judge or criticize you or your efforts. When you stay in your comfort zone instead of stepping out into service when God leads you, that causes your God-given potential to smolder like a fire going out. God wants you to shine brightly in this world, like bright flames of fire! Only you can contribute to the world in the ways God has designed you to do so.
These verses offer a powerful truth to help you overcome fear. The spirit God has given you is not one of fear. Instead, God has equipped you with a divine toolkit to help you fan your gifts into a blazing fire. This toolkit contains three essential values to put into action: power, love, and self-control.
First, God gives you a spirit of power. This isn’t your own limited willpower. This is God’s unlimited resurrection power working through you! God will give you the strength to step out in faith even when you’re feeling afraid. God will give you the ability to do whatever he calls you to do. God’s strength will empower you to overcome both your fear and your weaknesses.
Second, God gives you a spirit of love. This is the motivation behind your gifts. When you use your gifts out of love for God and the people around you, you can stop worrying about whatever you may be afraid of when you serve. Love helps you focus on how your service can help people in need.
Finally, God gives you a spirit of self-control. This is help from the Holy Spirit to use your unique mix of gifts well. Self-control gives you the wisdom to know when and how to best put your gifts into action, and the discipline to stay focused on what truly matters so you don’t get distracted from God-given opportunities to serve.
Using your unique mix of gifts is an important part of living into your purpose – to contribute to the world, to bless others, and to bring glory to God. So, don’t let fear stop you! Ask God today to help you identify the fire embers within you and to give you the courage to fan them into flame. Look for the opportunities God is already bringing into your life to serve, and boldly step out, trusting that God has already given you everything you need to start a bright fire in this dark world!
Let’s Pray:
Dear God,
Thank you for creating me with purpose and giving me a unique mix of gifts. I’m grateful for you making me who I am, with this special blend of talents and interests. I want to use my gifts to contribute in all the ways you want me to do so. But I confess that, too often, I let fear hold me back. I worry about what others will think, I’m scared of failing, or I listen to the lie that somehow I’m not good enough. I’m sorry that I’ve let the embers of my gifts grow cold instead of fanning them into flame, like you’ve designed me to do. Please forgive me.
Today, I reject that spirit of fear. Fill me with your Holy Spirit, so I can connect with your power, love, and self-control. Replace my weakness with your strong power, so I can boldly take action. Fill my heart with love for others, so that my focus is on serving them and not on myself. Give me the self-control I need to use my gifts wisely. Please open my eyes to the opportunities that you place in my path, allowing me to serve in the unique ways that only I can contribute to the world. Give me the boldness to say “yes” to you whenever you lead me to a new opportunity. I want to help shine your light into the darkness of this world.
Use me, God! Thank you. Amen.
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/miniseries
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