WEEK 8: DAY 4
THE TUNE OF GIFTS AND SKILLS

Ephesians 4:7-13
But that doesn't mean you should all look and speak and act the same. Out of the generosity of Christ, each of us is given his own gift.
The text for this is,
He climbed the high mountain,
He captured the enemy and seized the booty,
He handed it all out in gifts to the people.
Is it not true that the One who climbed up also climbed down, down to the valley of earth? And the One who climbed down is the One who climbed back up, up to highest heaven. He handed out gifts above and below, filled heaven with his gifts, filled earth with his gifts. He handed out gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor-teacher to train Christ's followers in skilled servant work, working within Christ's body, the church, until we're all moving rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to God's Son, fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive like Christ.

For every gift given, a skill is expected.
In the Kingdom, gifts are given to each of us in different measures and phases but this doesn't stop there. We are expected to get trained in and with those gifts so we can be skilled in service.

Skills reveals maturity because a skill is only gotten when one has gone through a process and this helps us become efficient and effective in delivery.

So yes, you have the Holy Spirit and He has given you gifts but how has it been harnessed? How have you been matured through use? How well have you practiced with what has been given to you? How have you grown in being a son?

Ephesians 4:24
Take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you.

When you become a skilled servant, your inside life starts to reflect on your outside - God ACCURATELY reproducing His character in you.

Will your character be tested? Yes! So the question is not if but when. When your character is tested, what will be revealed? Who will be revealed? A man with gifts or a man skilled?

I conclude with this

2 Peter 1:5-9
So don't lose a minute in building on what you've been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can't see what's right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books.

You can also read John 15:5-8.

I pray you mature in Him as He grants you His gifts, and grow into being skillful in delivering His Glory in Jesus name, amen.

Rain in a bucket; Devotional with Toyosi
www.raininabucket.wordpress.com