The Gift of God // The 5 Most Important Truths God Wants You To Know, Part 5

Some people have discovered their gig in life – they know what their particular talent is, and they’re living it. But most – most haven’t. Do they have a gift? Does God have a plan to use that gift?

One of the most rewarding things in my life is watching my three children grow from childhood into adulthood. They're all young adults now, thirty two, thirty and twenty one years old, our baby. The two older ones are the boys and the youngest is our daughter.

Why is it so rewarding? Well in part you see the huge investment that you put into them finally bearing some fruit. There's that but even more so it's seeing them become who they're meant to be, it's seeing their natural gifts and abilities shine forth as they make their way into the world.

Each of our three are so incredibly different, totally and yet each time I've seen them become young adults and then begin to mature I can't tell you the delight that I get from seeing them just growing into their natural giftings.

I'm joined again today on the program by Brett Barclay who's sharing with us this week "The Top Five Truths that God Wants Us to Believe" and number five today, we're talking about the fact that God’s made each one of us unique with a destiny and with a purpose. And Brett I wonder if I get such a thrill out of seeing my three kids grow up can you imagine how God feels when He looks at you and me?

Brett: Yeah amazing. You know we are literally the apple of His eye. I think you've just described it beautifully, the heart of a father is to see their children grow up not only in stature, physically, you know to mature into a grown man or woman but also to mature in character and calling. There was a great poet that said there's two really important days in your life, the day that you are born and the day you discover why. And so as believers we're not left to our own devices, when you come into a relationship with God there's a package deal and one of those things is God has a purpose, He's uniquely gifted you and uniquely endowed you with some great gifts and abilities with which to live a very fruitful and fulfilling life.

Berni: That's a really liberating thing because a lot of people don't see that they've got any gift at all. I know people, there's one woman who's serves this ministry, she actually types the transcripts of almost every radio program I've produced, she has a whole bunch of issues in her life and she never thought she could actually make a difference in anyone's. Well I've got to tell you, tens of thousands of people read the transcripts that she types.

Brett: That's amazing and that's what it's all about. She's found what God wants her to do and it is one of the great privileges of walking with God to know that He has a purpose and He has, not only a purpose but Jesus talked about it in John 15 where He said:

You did not choose me, I chose you that you may go and bear fruit and that fruit should remain.

Berni: A bit different from our traditional view of the world. I mean our view is so often "what's in it for me?"but this is a different perspective, this is about using our gifts and talents for other people, I mean with Christians we talk about servanthood I guess.

Brett: Yeah, so let me read a Scripture, I think it will speak to that very well, this is in 1 Peter chapter 4, verse 10 and 11 and it says:

As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another (That word minister means to serve) as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

So there are some powerful things there. So each one has received a gift and maybe multiple gifts, minister that to one another, in other words you and I don't serve people just in any capacity, it is actually God's specific intent that you and I will serve one another, you know people in our community, people in Church, our families, with a specific gifting.

Berni: I'm so glad you know, if someone called me into children’s ministry, if I had to look after the kids on Sunday at Church I'd go nuts. I'm really glad I get to use what God made me to be and not have to be someone else, these wonderful people who look after the kids, God bless them, I love the kids but I'd die if I had to do that.

Brett: Yeah and this is … Berni the fascinating thing about this is, this ties back to what we were talking about before because when you know that you are right with God irrespective of your performance you won't be manipulated to serve in an area that you're not called to.

Now that is a really important thing because right now every person listening to me right now you've got unique talents, unique gifts and the great thing about that is that one day we will stand before God, people who are in relationship with God and receive a reward for the work that's come from those gifts and so when it says we need to minister those gifts to one another, I love that because it says that the gifts are not there for you and I although they do bring, like you were talking about, they bring great fulfilment when you use them but that's not the primary reason, the primary reason is that you may serve others with those gifts.

Berni: A fruit tree doesn't eat its own fruit.

Brett: That's right.

Berni: A grapevine doesn't eat its own grapes; other people come to eat the grapes.

Brett: That's right, it's the only reason a vine exists, it's good for no other reason but to bear fruit. What you find in this Scripture is such a powerful thing, let me just bring up another word Berni which is really important here, it says the word steward, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. This is incredible, right now, if you're listening to this right now in your life as a believer, as a Christian, you have received an expression of the grace of God. God has taken a piece of Himself, if you like an expression of who He is and He has put it in your life. Now the amazing thing about that is He says you need to be a good steward over that.

What is a steward? A steward is someone who manages the property of another. Amazing huh? So God has given us a piece of His manifold grace and He wants us to steward that for Him. It's not ours, we don't own it, it's His and He wants us to look after it and make it grow.

Berni: Cool.

Brett: That's the amazing thing about that is that, there's a couple of really key points there. Number one, our motivation with which we serve is others. It's not about me trying to create a life for myself, it's about I genuinely love and value other people and I want to take of what God has given me and serve them with it. This whole idea of stewards has an amazing end to it because ultimately if you're a steward the person who gave you the goods will come back and ask you what you did with them and so as a steward God will one day ask, say Berni, what did you do with what I gave you? And so that's powerful because that gives us hope to know that hey I'm in this world, I'm in this life to steward what God has given me for the benefit of others.

Berni: And in that parable of the talents where each of the three slaves was given a certain amount of money to invest according to their ability, the guy who copped a real tongue lashing, didn't he, was the guy who didn't do anything with what God gave him to steward. I mean he copped it really badly from Jesus.

Brett: Yeah he did, in fact he said:

You wicked and unfaithful servant.

As people who are entering into a relationship with God or who are in a relationship with God we don't want to hear that.

Berni: I want to tell you something quickly about Brett. Brett's fairly quiet, sort of a quietly spoken guy, the moment I first had coffee with him, the moment you talk to him and say, "what's your gig in life?" He starts to talk about teaching and sharing Gods word. He lights up like a light, it's like someone flicked a switch and this light lights up on the other side of the table and that's the thing isn't it? When we're doing what God's made us to do you have a ball, it's hard some days but it's so fulfilling.

Brett: Yeah absolutely, what did Mark Twain the great poet say? He said:

Make your vocation your vacation.

So other words make what you do in life your holiday, you'll never work another day in your life which I'm sure you feel that way, I feel that way.

Berni: We're out of time, Brett it's been great to catch up with you and we might do this another time.

Brett: Sounds great, thanks for having me Berni.