“God Gives Good Gifts”
2019 Giving and Receiving Month
The month of December is Giving and Receiving Month. We have selected this month to emphasize the importance of giving. We are committed to preaching through a sermon series entitled: "Have A Divine Perspective of Giving.” I know that God is going to bless us through our sermon series.
God Gives Good Gifts
In October 2006, Stevie Wonder received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Civil Rights Museum. He then segued from his acceptance speech into a medley of his songs that included “My Cherie Amour” and “I Wish.”
Playing an electronic keyboard, Stevie told an audience of about 5,000 that music is a gift he can share, challenging Memphis and the world to “use the gifts God has given to help those less fortunate.”
“You must use your eyes, voices, ears. Tomorrow is never promised to any of us. You must be the best you can be right now,” he said.
After Stevie’s speech, two blind students at Georgia Avenue Elementary, Caia Smith, 6, and Ovente Magsby, 9, sang their own medley as a tribute to Wonder. Stevie smiled and clapped as the children sand “Ribbon In The Sky” and “You Are The Sunshine of My Life,” then made his way to the stage to meet the children, hugging them, and he whispered in their ears how much he loved them.
A key lesson from this inspiring story is Stevie Wonder’s challenge to “use the gifts God has given to help those less fortunate.” Some people would call the ability to sing and play music a talent. I want to suggest that whatever ability a person has, it is a gift from God.
In James 1:17, the writer states, “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” Personal abilities and talents are direct gifts from God who gives “good and perfect gifts” (v. 17). Is there a difference between a talent that comes from God and a spiritual gift that also comes from God? Yes. There is a difference between a talent and a spiritual gift.
When a person has a talent, he or she may not use that talent unto the glory of God by serving others, especially the Christian church. However, when a person is given a spiritual gift, through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:11), the person is required to use that gift for Christian service that helps to edify the church, prevent instability, and produce Christian maturity (Rom. 12:6-8; 1Cor. 12:4-7, Eph. 4:11-16). A person may use his or her talent for selfish reasons. However, when a person receives a spiritual gift from God, that gift or gifts should be used selflessly. Listen to Paul’s word to the church in Rome when he says,
For I long to see you so I might impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established; that is that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine (Rom. 1:11-12).
It sounds as though Paul can give believers a spiritual gift. If this interpretation is accurate, then Paul contradicts his teaching that spiritual gifts come from the divine impartation of a triune God who works in those whom He gifts (1 Cor. 12:4-11). The correct interpretation is that Paul desires to use his spiritual giftedness to bless the believers in Rome. Also, he wants to share the truths of the gospel to bless the believers with encouraging words. He hopes that both he and the Roman believers will look outside of self and encourage others as they are encouraged by others.
One distinctive of the Christian faith is that it is others-centered. When God empowers us through the presence and power of the Spirit, we should allow Him to work through us to be a blessing to others. When we use God’s good gifts for others, we achieve God’s doxological plan. What is God’s doxological plan? In 1 Corinthians 10:31, Paul states, “Whether, then you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” God’s doxological plan is that He receives the glory from all that we do. For God to receive the glory, we must be others-centered. In 1 Corinthians 10:33, Paul writes, “just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit but the profit of the many, so that they may be saved.” The New Living Translation reads, “I too, try to please everyone in everything I do. I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved” (1 Cor. 10:33). It sounds like Paul establishes a premise for “people-pleasing.” Paul does not contradict his previous statement about placing the focus on God (v. 31). A proper interpretation of Paul’s words reveals that Paul is not focusing on people-pleasing, but he focuses on putting others before himself. By putting other’s needs before his own, he knows that God will be glorified.
One of the reasons why Christ gave His life in death on the cross is because He did not consider His own needs. He thought of our needs (Rom. 5:6-8). We should be grateful for God’s “perfect gift” of salvation that He gives through the person of Jesus Christ and His unmerited favor (John 3:16; Eph. 2:8-9).