Years ago there was a best-selling book that highlighted the spiritual truths of 1 Chronicles 4:10, which became known as the prayer of Jabez. This prayer reminds us that God loves to give gifts to His children and answer our prayers.
We should be thankful for God's generosity and express our gratitude in prayer every chance we get. Yet that is not where our responsibility ends. God gives us gifts as a way of preparing us for everyday life. He expects us to use those gifts in our relationships with others - especially our spouses.
God's abundant gifts to us are an expression of His love, and we reflect that love by loving others. We receive the gifts of wisdom, insight, experience, expertise, and material possessions to enrich the lives of other people. God's gifts are never given because we deserve them; they are given as expressions of His love for us. Thus, our gifts to others are not based on the person's performance or what the individual has done for us but rather flow from our love for the person.
What gifts do you have to offer your spouse and others? What difference can you make in their lives?
Thank God for the love He has shown to you. Be specific. Share examples of when you really felt God's love, and give Him praise for each one. Ask Him to bless you, to be with you in all that you do, and to keep you from trouble and pain.
Reflect on these questions:
What God-given gifts, talents, and abilities have people seen in you?
What gifts do you see in yourself that might surprise others?
What is your biggest obstacle to using your gifts to their full potential?
Consider these passages for further study of God's gifts:
Romans 12:3-8
For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and everyone members one of another.
6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
I Corinthians 12:1-11
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.
3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
I Peter 4:10 As every man hath received the gift, even so, minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
I Chronicles 4:10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.
Using what we are talented with to serve the Lord goes a long way. Be creative and think outside the box to expand your true self. Great thoughts of Gary Chapman.