Walking in the Light~ part two

It's been a wild week since I last posted. My oldest princess celebrated a birthday and two days later her spiritual birthday. She was so excited about both! She has been walking with the Lord for half as long as she's been alive. And at her young age that's an amazing thing to me. I was a teen before I understood what it meant to have a personal relationship with God. To see her growing in wisdom and grace at so young an age is such a joy.

Not that we don't have our bad days. Oh boy, do we ever! Seems my oldest and I are cut from the same cloth and tend to sin in similar ways. Makes for quite a tiff when we're not walking in step with the Spirit.

Add to that all that’s happening in the world around us and it makes me realize just how vital walking in the Light really is. My heart is heavy after looking at pictures of the devastation in Louisiana and Mississippi and elsewhere. If nothing else it reminds me how necessary it is to stay close to the Lord. This world is uncertain at best and horribly dark at worst. Either way we desperately need the Lord. In fact, I’m learning that it’s not just that we need Him, but that nothing in this world will ever truly satisfy.

Even my relationship with God doesn’t shield me from the pain of this world.

It’s bittersweet to live with my head out of the sand and to walk in the Light.

Because in the Light I see and am touched by the pain around me.

There I am also driven to my knees to pray.

It’s not a bad place to be. But it does hurt. Especially when pain touches even closer to home. All I can share freely is that someone I care about (outside of my family) has made some tough choices and my heart is still reeling and waiting to see if they survive. I hate to be so vague, but for right now I have to be. The Lord knows, so any prayers you feel led to offer, for me and for a friend of mine, would be so greatly appreciated.

All that to say, knowing WHOSE you are and WHO you are in Christ is so very necessary to walk through this tough world. My prayer is that my small offering here on this blog will help someone take another step closer to the Light and to knowing who God created them to be.

With that in mind I offer this information on the last three spiritual gifts~ Giving, Leadership, and Mercy.


Giving

Those with the gift of giving are motivated to be a part of the Lord’s work by giving of themselves and their resources. Matthew is a Biblical example of the gift of giving.

Characteristics of the giver:

Able to see resources, opportunities, and needs that others miss.
Wise and disciplined in their use of money.
Desire to give high quality, things of lasting value.
Long to know their gift is an answer to prayer.
Prefers to give in secret and without the pressure of appeals.
Motivated by God showing them where to give.
Concerned with how money is used and don't want to give in a way that people become dependent on them.
Very frugal and exercises personal thriftiness.
Give to motivate others to give also.

Walking in the Spirit

Thrifty (NOT stingy)
Resourceful
Content
Punctual
Tolerant
Cautious
Grateful

Walking in the flesh

Extravagant
Wasteful
Covetousness
Tardy
Prejudice
Rash
Ungrateful (forget Who the Source is)


Leadership

The driving force of a leader is to organize that for which they are responsible and to work hard to accomplish the goal set before them. Nehemiah is a Biblical example of the gift of leadership.

Characteristics of a leader:

Able to see the big picture and visualize the final result.
Ability to break down the major goals into smaller, achievable tasks.
Thinks ahead.
Decisive and disciplined.
Ability to know what can and cannot be delegated and to whom.
Tendency to remove self from distracting details and focus on the ultimate goal.
Willingness to endure objections they know will come.
Need for loyalty and confidence from those who are being directed.
Tendency to assume responsibility if no structured leadership exists.
Desire to complete a task as soon as possible.
Joy and fulfillment in seeing all the parts come together and others enjoying the finished product.
Quick to move on to the next project when one is completed.

Walking in the Spirit

Orderly
Takes initiative
Assumes responsibility
Humble spirit
Decisive
Determined
Loyal

Walking in the flesh

Disorganized
Apathetic
Unreliable
Dictatorial
Double-minded
Fearful
Unfaithful


Mercy

Those with the gift of mercy are driven by deep compassion for others. John is a Biblical example of the gift of mercy.

Characteristics of the mercy giver:

Ability to feel on a level most people don’t.
Can sense a person’s emotions and identify them.
Desire to remove hurts and bring healing rather than look for the benefits of hurt.
Greater concern for mental distress rather than physical distress of others.
Attracted to and understand people who experience mental and emotional distress.
Sensitive to words and actions that hurt other people.
They are the cheerfulness and joy of the Body of Christ.
Tendency to react harshly when intimate friends are rejected.
Fiercely loyal and devoted.
Ability to sense genuine love and a have a greater vulnerability to deeper and more frequent hurts from the lack of love.
A strong need for deep friendships in which there is mutual commitment.
Measure acceptance by physical closeness and quality time.
Tendency to avoid firmness unless they see how it will bring benefit and eliminate greater hurt.
Quickly close themselves to those who are insincere or insensitive.

Walking in the Spirit

Attentiveness
Sensitive to other’s needs
Fairness
Compassion
Gentleness
Deference (willing to submit)
Humility/ meekness

Walking in the flesh

Unconcerned
Calloused (don’t feel anything)
Partial
Indifferent
Harsh
Rude
Angry


With all this information, one point I want to really emphasize is this: Each and every believer has been given at least one spiritual gift. 1 Corinthians 12:7 says it this way, “A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church.”

Please hear that. YOU have a spiritual gift. It was given to you by the Holy Spirit for the purpose of helping the entire church. Please, please, please… ask the Lord to reveal to you what your gift is and how to walk in it for the sake of the Body of Christ.

You are so very needed!