Day 20

A sober estimation of ourselves means recognizing that our gifts are only one part of the larger body.

‘Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.’ (Romans 12:3)

The best way to find our spiritual gift is by serving God. There are all kinds of helpful introspective tests we can take, but the best way to discover where we are gifted is by loving and serving people and discovering in the process where we are effective. When I led a Bible School in England, one of the exciting aspects of our work was to get students involved in service. Again and again students would say, ‘I can’t do that.’ I’d respond, ‘How do you know?’ They’d come back with, ‘Well, I just know.’ I’d encourage them to just go and do it: ‘If you can’t do it, that’s fine, but you may make a great discovery about what you can do’. Iknow former students in ministry today in different parts of the world who discovered their gifts by being thrown into the deep end, and discovering they could swim!

Don’t be afraid of failing. The Christian life requires us to trust God and from a human perspective, that includes risk. If we fail, we fail, and we learn from it. But we will also find where we are equipped and gifted. We need a combination of humility and confidence. Sober humility towards ourselves, strong confidence in God.

What’s stopping you from stepping out in your gifting?