MosaicRC

I love watching kids opening presents on Christmas morning.  The way they are so    excited to find out what is inside the package.  My daughters Maddy and Claire love gifts and can’t wait to rip off the wrapping paper and find out what surprise awaits within.  As their father I love to give them gifts.  I find great joy in treating them to a special present that might give them pleasure or make their lives easier or maybe help them help others.  Who doesn’t like to receive gifts?

As a father who love his children it is quite satisfying to see my kids use the gifts that I have blessed them with.  We bought Maddy a bike a few years ago, a two wheeler with training wheels.  It was a little big for her at first and a little scary, but exciting for her at the same time.  It took a couple of weeks for her to get the courage to ride it without me behind her, but after she got the hang of it she rode it like a pro.  Finally, after awhile she got so good that we took off the training wheels and she was off a riding like a big girl.

I think God’s Spiritual gifts are to us  like a two wheeler is to a little girl who has not quite mastered it; exciting but a little scary.  I find it a bit easier to practice with mine (spiritual gifts) remembering that God is there beside me like I was beside Maddy on her bike.   God is pleased to give us His gifts to build and equip His church both in spiritual strength and number.  I believe it makes Him proud when He sees us exercising and learning how to use them to their potential.  I remember when I let go of my girls bicycle seat and they rode off down the street all by themselves on two wheels, with a big grin and a loud shout I said, “Great job!”  I wonder what heaven sounds like when we “Take off” in our giftings?

So, I am wondering, have you unwrapped your spiritual gifts.  Do you know what it or they are.  Have you been practicing with them?  1 Peter 1:10 tells us that we all have been given at least one spiritual gift and we should use it (or them) to serve one another and build up the church.  So, let’s find out what we have within our wrapping and start practicing with our gifts and see how God might move within our church.  He is always there to catch us!  If we listen hard I’ll bet we might hear a very proud Papa say, “Great job!”

Well, it has been a while since I posted last.  A new year has reared its head and invited us to incredible possibilities as a community.  God has visioned us to be a church that thrives not only survives.  With that comes a call to make ourselves ready for action.  Like a finely trained army we need to ready ourselves with practice in order to function like a well oiled machine.  Though we may fight wars of sorts ours is a war on the spiritual battle field.  Our weapons are not guns, bombs, or even swords, but equally as powerful.  However, like an Army sniper practices his skill shooting every day at a single target until he can hit it from 500 yards away, we too must practice our spiritual disciplines with the same intensity.

To be able to hit the mark every time we must practice, practice, and practice for perfection.  That means disciplining ourselves to practice even when we don’t feel like it.  That is what discipline is, pushing through the “not wanting to”; drive, perseverance, persistence, enduring brings us into discipline.  Reading our Bibles, spending time in prayer, fasting, worshiping, and giving back to God, are ways we practice the presence of God.  If we want to go where God is calling us these areas we must master.  Come and join us as we investigate the godly disciplines.