May 6, 2024 8:00 pm
Decades ago, I went to a college retreat where everyone was talking about a personality test. “I’m an ISTJ!” one said. “I’m an ENFP,” another chirped. I was mystified. “I’m an ABCXYZ,” I joked.
Since then, I’ve learned a lot about that test (the Myers-Briggs) and others such as the DiSC. I find them fascinating, because they can help us understand ourselves and others in helpful, revealing ways—shedding light on our preferences, strengths, and weaknesses. Provided we don’t overuse them, they can be a useful tool God uses to help us grow.
Scripture doesn’t offer us personality tests. But it does affirm each person’s uniqueness in God’s eyes (see Psalm 139:14-16; Jeremiah 1:5), and it shows us how God equips all of us with a unique personality and unique gifts to serve others in His kingdom. In Romans 12:6, Paul unpacks this idea, writing, “We have different gifts, according to the grace given each of us.”
Those gifts, Paul explains, are not for us alone, but for the purpose of serving God’s people, Christ’s body (v. 5). They’re an expression of His grace and goodness, working in and through all of us. They invite each of us to be a unique vessel in God’s service.
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Hey there, and welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.
Our reading titled God-given gifts was written by Adam R. Holes. Decades ago, I went to a college retreat where everyone was talking about a personality test. I'm an ISTJ, one said. I'm an ENFP, another chirped. I was mystified.
I'm an ABC XYZ, I joked. Since then, I've learned a lot about that test, the Myers-Briggs, and others such as the Disc Assessment. I find them fascinating because they can help us understand ourselves and others in helpful, revealing ways, shedding light on our preferences, strengths, and weaknesses. Provided we don't overuse them, they can be a useful tool God uses to help us grow. Scripture doesn't offer us personality tests, but it does affirm each person's uniqueness in God's eyes, and it shows us how God equips all of us with a unique personality and unique gifts to serve others in His kingdom. In Romans 12.6, Paul begins to unpack this idea when he says, We have different gifts according to the grace given to each of us. Those gifts, Paul explains, are not for us alone, but for the purpose of serving God's people, Christ's body. They're an expression of His grace and goodness, working in and through all of us. They invite each of us to be a unique vessel in God's service. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Romans chapter 12 verses 4 through 8.
For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith. If it is serving, then serve. If it is teaching, then teach. If it is to encourage, then give encouragement. If it is giving, then give generously.
If it is to lead, do it diligently. If it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. Let's pray. Father, thank You for the gifts that You've given each of us. Please help us to embrace the ways You've uniquely equipped us to love and serve others in Your kingdom. Thank You, Lord. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Thanks for listening today. I'm Stephen Tabor, and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.
Whisper: medium.en / 2024-05-06 22:03:41 / 2024-05-06 22:05:07 / 1
