Shields Up!

So I gave my oldest son this assignment in school last year. It was looking at our doctrinal beliefs and putting them into his own words. Any big words he didn't understand, we looked up in the dictionary, so he wouldn't just be taking my word for it, but really making sure he learned new things.

When it got to the belief on Spiritual Gifts, Michael put it in his own words that Spiritual Gifts are a shield. A shield? How is that you may ask. Well, according to our church's fundamental belief on spiritual gifts, when we have a gift and use it, we guard ourselves against false doctrine and false manifestations of the Holy Spirit. Michael, being a 10 year old boy and seeing the word guard, automatically thought of a shield.

But think about it. God gives gifts to each of His children. Everyone has at least one gift. You can read about Spiritual Gifts in Ephesians 4, Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12. If you were to have the gift of exhortation, meaning to strongly advise or urge earnestly for the good of your fellow Christian, and you didn't use that gift, then someone else may take it upon themselves to do the job God gave you to do. What happens when a car mechanic tries to do brain surgery or a dentist tries to build a bridge? People trying to do things God didn't gift them to do can cause hurt and pain and problems in the church. So by using your God given gift to minister to your fellow man, you are protecting your church from harm.

Don't be afraid to use the gifts God has given you, but always use them for His glory and to further His cause. Shields up everyone!