Thanks for joining our study on a topic that is often overlooked. The topic of “gifts” emerged while I was at church on May 24. It was Pentecost Sunday, and when the pastor preached about the gift of the Holy Spirit, I felt a strong “ding ding” to write about gifts. As I have often repeated, my “Assignment Editor” guides this study, so when discussing His Word, I feel earthly and divine pressure to please Him.
First, we must always acknowledge that God is the Greatest Gift to humankind.
Second, humankind’s greatest gifts come from God. These include eternal life through Jesus, and the list continues: the gift of life, the gift of love, the gift of family, the gift of healing, good health, including all our senses, and the gift of talents.
There is also God’s gift of natural beauty, such as sunrises, oceans, rivers, babbling brooks, mountains, forests, and canyons. Additionally, animals must be included on that list, especially pets.
In our busy and challenging lives, we forget to recognize all the above as gifts from God. I suspect He would greatly appreciate our thinking that way. In fact, Thanksgiving Day began as a day to give thanks to God, not to mark the official opening of Christmas shopping. However, every day should be celebrated with thanksgiving for the gifts He has bestowed upon us.
Let’s turn to the Bible to deepen our understanding of those gifts.
In Exodus, skilled craftsmen were needed to build the tabernacle, the earthly dwelling of God. In passages 35:4-40:33, God specified the exact details. Clearly stated, the skills were given by God to certain people so the complicated and magnificent construction project could be built to honor Him:
“Then Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the Lord had given ability and who was willing to come and do the work” (Exodus 36:2).
The key point is that God-given talents are blessings from God, and He expects us to glorify Him through them. Those talents are in your hands, your voice, your body, and your brain for numerous highly skilled tasks.
For example, consider the brains and hands of surgeons. In 2016, I had a detached retina, and my surgeon restored sight to my left eye. Later, we discussed the blessed talent he had been given, which he fully credited to God. If you have an extraordinary talent blessed by God that results in a great gift to others, be sure to let God know you recognize it comes from Him.
Turning now to the gift of the Holy Spirit, Jesus said in Luke’s gospel:
“If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Luke 11:13).
And in John:
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:26).
And then the gift was delivered:
“When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:1-4).
About the Holy Spirit, Peter said:
“God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. Exalted to the right hand of God, He has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear” (Acts 2:32-33).
There are seven gifts within the gift of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, fear of the Lord, and piety. All seven embody who Jesus was, is, and taught. Read more here.
St. Paul wrote much about gifts, and famously the gift which lasts forever:
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). And what follows is also powerful:
“For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (Romans 11:29).
The concept “gift of God” is so pleasing to my soul. It means by design, He is actively giving something He knows can make the world a better place. And because God is God, He gives humankind so many different gifts and talents:
“Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness” (Romans 12:6-8).
Paul writes how God’s grace is a gift:
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
You should feel some pressure from this verse if you are not using your gift:
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:10).
If your gift is dormant, crank it up because:
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17).
I saved the best gift quote for last because the gift of all gifts from God is His Son, Jesus:
Finally, “Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift!” (Corinthians 9:15).
And what is the meaning of that inexpressible gift?
“The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
I pray this study has inspired you to be in tune with the gifts God has given you. Amen!
Myra Kahn Adams is a conservative political and religious writer. Her book “Bible Study For Those Who Don’t Read The Bible“ reprints the first 56 volumes of this popular study. “Part 2,” reprints Vols. 57 –113. Order it here.
Myra is also the Executive Director of the National Shroud of Turin Exhibit. You can help support our six-month exhibit at the Basilica in Orlando, Florida. Read more here. Contact: Myraadams01@gmail.com
This article originally appeared at Townhall.com.
