Gifted by God

“Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.’” Jeremiah 1:4-5

Christian discipleship is a lifelong journey of living out and spreading the good news of Jesus Christ so that others may believe. Jesus invited the disciples, and many others along the way, to embark on a faith journey as they learned about his ministry.

A lifelong journey means lifelong learning. The more we discover about who we are and whose we are, the more we can appreciate the journey and the ministry to which we have been called. Discovering who we are includes discovering our spiritual gifts. Each one is given gifts by the Holy Spirit, gifts that shape who we are and how we operate in the body of Christ. Discovering or recovering your spiritual gifts and exploring how you can better use them is part of growing in faith and life and discipleship.

These gifts are part of your DNA. Spiritual gifts are as unique to you as your fingerprints and dental records.

This message is excerpted from “Gifts for You: Opening your Spiritual Gifts” a program resource written by Valora Starr, published by Women of the ELCA in 2011, and available at womenoftheelca.org.