More Than a Dream Coatნიმუში

MORE GIFTS AND TALENTS

There is a downside to my perfect little stone cottage next to the crystal blue lake. As I drive by, wishing it were mine, some nagging doubts start creeping in. Even if I owned a perfect house like that, the garden and decorating would never look as beautiful and inviting. You see, I don’t have a green thumb. And I can’t imagine matching up colors that are on very different sides of the color wheel.

So now I don’t just want the little cottage. I also wish I had the creative gifts of the owner who made the house so beautiful and homely. And very soon, these thoughts escalate to abandoning all hopes for my own little dream house. I try to convince myself that a house so far from the city would probably turn out to be a pain anyway. What use is it to have a house next to a crystal blue lake if you don’t have warm water to shower in? And who knows what the owner is trying to compensate for by overdecorating her house like that?

The same thing happened to Joseph’s brothers. Joseph’s gifts went far beyond a technicolor dream coat. He also possessed a prophetic gift that would save thousands of people years later. “One night Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him more than ever” (Genesis 37:5, NLT). I admit I don’t blame the brothers for their reaction. Especially if he was wearing the infamous coat while telling them about his superior dreams.

The early church of the New Testament started having the same struggles very soon after the great day of Pentecost. Peter and John’s healing gift soon started making people feel uncomfortable. “They brought in the two disciples and demanded, ‘By what power, or in whose name, have you done this?’” (Acts 4:7, NLT). Or in other words, why are you able to heal people, and we’re not?

This division over spiritual gifts didn’t stop with the first Christian church. Many good ministries and well-intentioned initiatives are killed by jealousy over each other’s God-given gifts. Our individual gifts can benefit thousands of needy souls if we take Paul’s guidance to heart. “And the same is true for you. Since you are so eager to have the special abilities the Spirit gives, seek those that strengthen the whole church” (1 Corinthians 14:12, NLT).

Which gifts or talents would you rather have than your own? How do you feel about the people who have those gifts? Do you sometimes feel left out because you don’t have certain abilities or talents?

Let us ask the Lord to reveal the unique plans He intended for each of us when He gave us our gifts and talents. And let us find ways to use them in such a way that brings glory to Christ. “God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another” (1 Peter 4:10, NLT).