SKILLS AND GIFTS – PART 1
PROVERBS 18: 16 - A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers him into the presence of the great (NIV)
I welcome you all to the month of March 2013, which is the third month in the year 2013. To God alone is the glory for the month of January and February that has passed. Brethren, inspite of our situation and circumstances, we need to thank God for His mercies and particularly for the gift of life. As we consider the theme for the month, it is important that we recognise the life we live as a gift from the Almighty. Our view of the life we live would determine how well we value the giver of our life and our creator. The bible says in Acts 17: 28 that “for in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.” Job in Job 12: 10 also say “in his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind” (NIV).
A gift has been described as an object that is given by someone without the expectation of payments in return. Ideally, a gift is expected to be free. Nothing can be more apt as an example of gift as that of the gift of life. Why? This is so because the Father has given us life very freely for which none of us have paid for. If we receive this life that we live freely, it is expected that we should also give that life freely also. The bible in Matt. 10: 8b state that “freely you have received, freely give” (NIV). That is why no man can purchase the gift of God with money, else the world would have only been filled by the highest bidder and the poor would have had no place to live.
An incident was recorded in the book of Acts 8 when Simon requested Peter to give him the gift of the Holy Spirit. In Acts 8: 20 “Peter answered: "May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money” (NIV). What we are driving at in this introduction to the theme on skills and gifts is the fact that if we believe that God gave us this life that we live, then it is important that we use the same to the glory of God and to the obedient of His commandments and ensure that we make positive impacts to the life of others.
Just as men would not be happy if our gifts are not appreciated, then we can be sure that the Lord Almighty would not be happy if we fail to recognise the life we live as gift from God. Therefore, we must use this life to please the giver of the life, the Lord Almighty.
Shalom.
Dr. Yinka Okude
Parish Pastor
RCCG Jesus Sanctuary, Northampton
HYMN: WHAT CAN WASH AWAY MY SIN