EVERY YEAR, FOR THE LAST, I DON'T KNOW, EIGHT OR NINE YEARS,
AROUND THE END OF APRIL OR BEGINNING OF MAY
MY WIFE ASKS ME THE SAME QUESTION.
IT'S A QUESTION I HONESTLY DON'T KNOW HOW TO ANSWER MOST YEARS.
MY RESPONSE TO THIS QUESTION IS ALMOST ALWAYS,
"I DON'T KNOW." THE QUESTION IS THIS:
"WHAT GIFT DO YOU WANT FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY THIS YEAR?"
AND Y'ALL, HERE'S WHY MY ANSWER'S ALWAYS, "I DON'T KNOW,"
BECAUSE I HATE THE IDEA OF GETTING SOMETHING
AS A GIFT THAT I'LL NEVER USE.
DON'T GET ME WRONG. YA BOY LOVES A GOOD GIFT.
BUT I'VE LEARNED THAT THE GIFT HAS TO BE FUNCTIONAL
OR USEFUL IN MY EVERYDAY LIFE.
THAT'S WHY THIS YEAR I LOVE THE FACT THAT I GOT THIS.
IT'S THIS WALLET THAT MY WIFE GOT ME,
AND IT HAS THIS LITTLE, LIKE, TRACKER THING.
IF I WALK AWAY... 50 FEET AWAY FROM IT, IT PINGS MY PHONE.
THERE'S A BUTTON THAT SHOOTS UP ALL OF THE CREDIT CARDS.
I MEAN, I JUST LOVE THIS THING.
IT'S A GIFT THAT I MAY USE EVERY DAY TO MAKE MY LIFE EASIER.
YOU SEE, THIS GIFT HAS A SPECIFIC PURPOSE IN MY LIFE:
TO HOLD AND KEEP MY PERSONAL BELONGINGS SAFE
AND QUICKLY ACCESSIBLE. THAT'S ITS PURPOSE.
NOW, I'M GETTING READY TO TELL YOU SOMETHING
THAT'S SUPER OBVIOUS.
I'LL NEVER USE THIS GIFT AS A CELL PHONE,
PLAY FOOTBALL WITH IT,
OR USE IT AS A HOLDER FOR PENS AND PENCILS.
WHY? BECAUSE THAT'S NOT ITS PURPOSE.
AND, MAN, THE MORE I THINK ABOUT THIS GIFT
HAVING A SPECIFIC PURPOSE,
I CAN'T HELP BUT REALIZE THAT'S EXACTLY
WHAT PAUL WAS TRYING TO CONVEY TO THE CHURCH IN CORINTH
ABOUT SPIRITUAL GIFTS THAT COME FROM GOD.
PAUL SAID, "THERE ARE DIFFERENT KINDS OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS,
"BUT THE SAME SPIRIT IS THE SOURCE OF THEM ALL.
"THERE ARE DIFFERENT KINDS OF SERVICE,
"BUT WE SERVE THE SAME LORD.
"GOD WORKS IN DIFFERENT WAYS,
"BUT IT IS THE SAME GOD WHO DOES THE WORK IN ALL OF US.
"A SPIRITUAL GIFT IS GIVEN TO EACH OF US
"SO WE CAN HELP EACH OTHER."
HERE'S WHAT I LOVE ABOUT WHAT PAUL IS SAYING.
ONE, HE CLARIFIES THAT THESE GIFTS
COME FROM GOD AND GOD ALONE.
THEY DON'T COME FROM OUR OWN STRENGTH, SPECIALNESS,
OR UNIQUENESS, OR MERIT.
BUT ALSO, AND I LOVE THIS,
HE CLARIFIES THE PURPOSE OF EACH GIFT.
IN VERSE 7 HE SAYS,
"A SPIRITUAL GIFT IS GIVEN TO EACH OF US
"SO WE CAN HELP EACH OTHER."
NOW, THIS WAS COUNTER-CULTURAL THEN
AND IT IS FOR SURE COUNTER-CULTURAL NOW.
IN OUR WORLD, WE DON'T THINK OF GIFTS
HAVING THE PURPOSE OF BEING FOR OTHERS.
NO! IN OUR MINDS, GIFTS ARE FOR US!
PAUL COMES ALONG, THOUGH, AND FLIPS THE WHOLE WORLD
OF "GIFTS" ON ITS HEAD WITH THIS ONE STATEMENT.
THE GIFTS WE RECEIVE FROM GOD
ARE FOR THE BETTERMENT OF OTHERS.
LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION THAT
I'VE RECENTLY BEEN CHALLENGED BY:
WHAT IF WE REALIZED AND LIVED OUT THIS IDEA
OF THE GIFTS WE HAVE BEING FOR OTHER PEOPLE?
HOW MUCH BETTER WOULD THE CHURCH LOOK
IF EVERY SINGLE BELIEVER USED THEIR GIFTS FOR OTHERS?
YOU SEE, THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I BELIEVE GOD INTENDED
FOR EACH OF US TO BE A PART OF.
WE ALL PLAY A PART IN THIS.
THIS REALITY, THIS VISION
IS AN ALL-SKATE FOR EVERY BELIEVER TO GET IN ON.
AND HERE'S WHY I BELIEVE THIS IS SO IMPORTANT TO GOD,
BECAUSE WHEN WE USE OUR GIFTS FOR OTHERS
WE HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE OUR CHURCHES,
OUR COMMUNITIES, AND OUR WORLD!
AND WHAT IF BY DOING SO - THINK ABOUT THIS -
IT CAUSED THOSE OUTSIDE THE FAITH TO WONDER
AND EVEN BECOME CURIOUS ABOUT GOD
BECAUSE OF THIS POWERFUL AND GENEROUS GROUP OF BELIEVERS
WHO DECIDED TO USE THEIR GIFTS FOR OTHERS,
NOT JUST THEMSELVES?