'Having then gifts... let us use them.'

Ro 12:6 NKJV

In Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life, Dr. Charles Swindoll writes:

'Once upon a time, the animals decided that they should do something meaningful to meet the problems of the new world. So they organized a school. They adopted an activity curriculum of running, climbing, swimming, and flying. To make it easier to administer, all the animals took all the subjects.

The duck was excellent at swimming. In fact, he was better than his instructor was! However, he made only passing grades in flying, and was very poor in running. Since he was so slow in running, he had to drop swimming and stay after school to practice running. This caused his webbed feet to be badly worn so he became only average in swimming. But 'average' was quite acceptable, therefore nobody worried about it - except the duck.

The rabbit stayed at the top of his class in running, but developed a nervous twitch in his leg muscles because he had so much make-up work to do in swimming.

The squirrel was excellent in climbing, but he encountered constant frustration in flying class because his teacher made him start from the ground up instead of from the treetop down... so he only got a 'C' in climbing and a 'D' in running.

The eagle was a problem child and was severely disciplined for being a non-conformist. In climbing classes, he beat all the others to the top, but insisted on using his own way of getting there!'

'Having then gifts... let us use them.'

When God has gifted and graced you to do something, give yourself to it and let the rest go.

"We have different gifts."

Ro 12:6 NIV

You may have several different gifts, but you must discover your core gift and build your life around it.

David sensed that he was more than a shepherd; he was a king-in-the-making.

Killing Goliath just gave him a chance to demonstrate it. Had he failed to realize that, he'd have gone back to tending sheep.

What blinds us to our core gift?

(1) Focusing on our flaws. Instead of focusing on our strengths we listen to our critics and rehearse the qualities that discourage us most. Be careful; the company you keep will either lift you or lower you. That's especially true of those who resent your success, because it reminds them of their own lack of it.

(2) Envying the gifts of others. It's okay to appreciate others as long as you don't try to duplicate them. Instead of living in somebody's shadows, stand on their shoulders and glean from their wisdom.

Be an Elisha; ask God for twice as much as your mentor. Uncommon people are just common people who recognize their core gift and put it to work. Paul speaks of seven different gifts:

"We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully" (vv. 6-8 NIV).

I am still discovering it, developing it, and I will always dedicate to the God I serve...........

What's your core gift?

LIMITS

"You have [circled] this mountain long enough; turn."

Dt 2:3 NKJV

Do you live overloaded and overwhelmed?

Like a driver who's lost his way, instead of stopping to ask for direction you increase your speed until you run out of fuel and end up on the side of the road. We quote the promise:

"I can do everything through him who gives me strength" (Php 4:13 NIV).

But God doesn't promise we can do everything we want to do, or everything people expect us to do, or everything others do. God will only give us grace to do what He calls us to do.

Isaiah writes:

"Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength" (Isa 40:30-31 NKJV).

Few things humble us like failure. God will let us circle the same mountain over and over until the scenery becomes so familiar that we're forced to stop and ask for direction-especially when we know in our heart that we're not where God wants us to be.

Parker Palmer writes: "I was raised in a culture that insisted I could do anything; that I was without limits, given enough energy and commitment on my part; that God made things that way, and all I had to do was get with the program.

My troubles began when I started to slam into my limitations...in the form of failure."

What's your most painful limitation? The one you won't admit? The one you don't want anybody to see?

Acknowledge it & seek honest feedback.

Ask for God's help in accepting the limits, He's placed on you for your own protection.