What is your gift?

What is it? No really, I am sure you have been asked before but take a moment and let yourself enjoy thinking about one of your strengths. Be proud of it, get excited about it.  Is it organization, public speaking, cleaning, playing with children, listening, making people laugh.  The list could go on forever. Mine is encouragement.  I am certain that for this phase of my life I am to encourage others.

Last weekend at church Pastor Jeff preached on encouragement.  I loved every minute of it.  Everything he said rang true for me.  The actions he suggested we take to encourage others sounded easy and exciting to me.  It was when he described another pastor as a born encourager that I suddenly had clarity. 

I am starting to recognize the way God speaks to me much more quickly.  It's as if all the noise in my mind gets quiet and my mind feels clear, wide open. 

At that moment in Pastor Jeff's message, God told me I am an encourager.  Now, to be honest this is not a new concept for me.  I have been told this before. It plays hand in hand with my optimism.  But there have been many times that I have played down this gift.  I would tell myself, "Well that just comes too easy for you. You always see the bright side. Don't push that on other people. You want to encourage people because it's so easy for you. You get too much enjoyment out of that, God must have something harder He needs you to do."  As I sat listening to Pastor Jeff Saturday night though, I had a brand new perspective revealed to me.  Encouraging others is a gift God has equipped me with.  Just because I enjoy encouraging and it comes naturally to me doesn't mean it is something I just like to do. God equipped me that way.  He wants me to use that gift as often as possible.   He is calling me to drawl others to Him by encouraging them.  I cannot express to you how excited I felt as I soaked in this realization. I feel so energized by this new perspective.

It wasn't long before I made the connection between encouraging others and the event I mentioned in my first post. The opportunity to organize an event that would encourage a large group of young women, is beyond exciting for me to daydream about.  I am excited to jump in.

Join me in this new way of thinking.  What is your gift? The one God equipped you with that comes naturally and that you enjoy.  If it doesn't immediately pop into your mind pray about it. God will reveal it!  Enjoy the ideas that come into your mind of how you may be able to use that gift for the glory of God. 

Now one more thing, post it. I would love to see a whole list of gifts in the comments.  No explanation needed.  Step out in faith and allow me to celebrate with you, the gifts God has given each of us.