I Have What?

        Just imagine how you would feel if you handed someone a gift, he took it, said “Thank You” then laid it down with no attempt to open it nor even find out what it was.  Now, put yourself in the place of God. He has given every person a gift to enjoy and yet there are millions of people who never take the time to find out what it is, they never put it to work, then use excuses for not being fulfilled in life.  Hopefully, you’re not guilty of this. 
        The Word of God declares emphatically: “As each of you has received a gift (a particular talent, a gracious divine endowment) employ if for one another as good trustees of God’s many faceted grace and faithful stewards of the extremely diverse gifts granted you by His unmerited favor” (I Peter 4:10).  So, God has given to each person a specific gift; therefore, we are responsible for what we do with it.  The gift that we are given is for everyone’s benefit and it is imperative that we use it or others will be robbed of a blessing. 
        Some years ago a study was done by an agricultural school in Iowa.  It reported that production of a hundred bushels of corn from one acre of land required 4 million pounds of water, 6,800 lbs. of oxygen, 5,200 lbs. of carbon, 160 lbs. of nitrogen, 125 lbs. of potassium, 75 lbs. of yellow sulfur, and other elements too numerous to list.  In addition to these ingredients are required rain and sunshine at the right times.  Although many hours of the farmer’s labor are also needed, it was estimated that only 5 percent of the produce of a farm can be attributed to the efforts of man.
        And so it is with our individual gifts: we use them but God causes the increase. We bless others with them but God gets the glory.  We receive benefits and rewards from them, but we honor the One who has given us the gift.  The gift that has been given us fits our personality and understanding and flows naturally.  But of course, we are able to enhance our gift with use and we are able to increase our use of it by using it more. 
        Another important part of using our gift is it encourages others to do the same.  When a speck of dust blows into your eye, instinctively the eye is rubbed by your finger.  There is no debate with the finger about whether it should bless the eye.  Later, after pulling down the lid, causing the eye to water, the speck is washed out.  In a short time the eye is back to normal and everybody is happy.  But without the hand including its specially gifted active finger, the irritant would have remained an annoyance.  Each member of our body is equally important and that’s the way it is in life. 
        Every gift blesses another gift.  Your God-given gift is very important and you must never be hindered from using it.  Use it unreservedly for the benefit of others.  And it will return to you in ways and measures that you never knew. God’s Word says, “Give, and it shall be given unto you, good measure and pressed down and running over…” (Luke 6:38).  P.T.L.

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