Today’s Hope July 28th

Hi LadyBug!! I wanted to share a learning experience with you today. You see, years ago, I knew a few of the gifts that God had placed in me, but I didn’t know how to utilize them. Then, I eventually started learning how to grow in those gifts one by one. The thing is, for a long time I was so consumed with my gifts and how I could be used by God. I was so concerned with not being what He wanted me to be that I got lost in the mess of it all. I began to lose the closeness of my relationship with Him. Then eventually, because I thought it was time and it didn’t happen, I just lay them down. I stopped trying to learn and grown in those gifts. Thank goodness that God doesn’t give up on us when we do silly things like that.
So, as I found my way back into a close relationship with God, I began to see that it wasn’t about the gifts after all. You see LadyBug, God gives us gifts to use for sharing the Word and the love of God so that others may come to know Him and be reconciled. However, none of those gifts matter if we are not focused on the basic commandments that God has given us. We should be focused on loving one another as God has loved us. It doesn’t matter what gift you have or what leadership position you have, if you cannot love and accept others as God did when you became saved, then your gift is of no value.
LadyBug, do not be consumed by the gift, but rather, be consumed by the love of God that will grow that gift. When you love as He loves, the gift will pour out naturally.
~Cyndi Kay
1 Peter 4:8-10
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Ephesians 4:1-6
John 15:12-14
Galatians 5:13