Who Are You in God's Eyes: Use Your Gifts

The question “Who am I?” starts with the plain things people say. Bob Kennison lives in Laramie, goes to church in Cheyenne, and is old. But those things do not really define who a person is. The habit of putting people in boxes can make Debbie only a nurse, Joe only a mechanic, Saria only a teacher, until somebody needs nursing, a car fixed, or a child taught. The problem comes when Debbie steps outside the nurse box and says something about decorations, and the first thought is, “Get back in your box.”

God does not leave His children in those little boxes. God says His people are loved, worthy, and accepted. Jesus shows that when He calls the woman with the issue of blood “daughter.” Her name, age, background, and ethnicity are not given, but Christ gives her a place in His family. A birth name tells people who to call, but it does not tell the whole story of what God sees.

Names in Scripture can mark a change in calling. Jesus calls Simon “Peter” after the Father reveals who Christ is. Saul becomes Paul, and that new name may have helped people hear his witness instead of fearing a trap. The point is not that every name must have some deep meaning, but that God knows how to identify a person by grace, calling, and purpose.

Spiritual gifts help define what God has put in a person for the good of the church. First Corinthians says there are “diversities of gifts but the same Spirit,” and Romans says gifts differ according to grace, so they are to be used. Teaching, hospitality, memory, mechanical skill, leadership, mercy, and many other abilities do not all look alike. A screwdriver cannot pound a nail very well, and one person’s gift is not meant to be forced into another person’s shape.

The story of Mrs. Gibbs puts the point right on the table. Polio left her wheelchair bound, and one minister told her she was “damaged goods.” But her answer was better theology: as long as there is breath and life, there is something to do for the Lord. Her Sunday school, her bold request for buses, and the thousands of children who came showed what God can do through a gift that others had boxed up and thrown away.

God gives gifts for a reason, not just to make a person feel good. The church is called to take those gifts out of the box, think outside the box, and still never lose sight of the principles of God’s church. Colossians says, “Whatever you do, do it heartily as to the Lord and not to men.” When God is in it, the work will not fail.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. God names His children first [49:25] Christ calls the suffering woman “daughter” before anyone knows her story. Her public identity had been shaped by affliction, but His word gave her family, dignity, and peace. God’s naming goes deeper than history, reputation, usefulness, or shame. [49:25]
• 2. Gifts do not belong in boxes [57:25] The Spirit gives gifts that are meant to be used, not wrapped up neatly and stored away. A church becomes smaller when people are only allowed to be what others already expect them to be. God’s work often begins when a person steps outside the box someone else built. [57:25]
• 3. Different gifts serve one Lord [01:02:01] First Corinthians does not make spiritual gifts a competition. The same Spirit gives different abilities for “the profit of all,” which means no gift exists merely for private satisfaction. The health of the body depends on gifts that do not look alike but come from the same God. [62:01]
• 4. Damaged goods can still serve [01:05:10] Mrs. Gibbs was told her work for the Lord was through, but her life proved that weakness does not cancel calling. Her wheelchair did not keep God from filling Sunday school rooms or changing a bus company president’s family. Human limitation can become the very place where God’s purpose becomes visible. [65:10]
• 5. Heart work honors the Lord [01:16:06] Colossians calls every act of service to be done heartily, as to the Lord and not to men. That keeps creativity from becoming a show and keeps effort from becoming mere performance. God-centered work can think differently without losing the principles that make the work holy.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [44:49] - Who Am I?
• [46:20] - Prayer for Worship and Growth
• [47:11] - Kipling, Thanks, and Worth
• [48:29] - Chosen, Loved, and Accepted
• [49:25] - Jesus Calls Her Daughter
• [50:16] - New Names and God’s Calling
• [52:33] - Names, Actions, and Reputation
• [56:34] - Preventive Maintenance and Spiritual Gifts
• [57:25] - Every Member Has a Gift
• [62:01] - Scripture on Spiritual Gifts
• [63:49] - What Is Being Done With the Gift?
• [64:15] - Mrs. Gibbs and Damaged Goods
• [70:23] - A Challenge to Sabbath School
• [73:06] - Take Gifts Out of the Box
• [76:06] - Do It Heartily for the Lord

Bible Reading

Mark 5:34 — “And he said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.’” [49:31]

1 Corinthians 12:4-7 — “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” [01:02:08]

Romans 12:6-8 — “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.” [01:03:08]

Colossians 3:23 — “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,” [01:16:19]

Observation questions

1. In Mark 5:34, what does Jesus call the woman, and what else does He say to her besides healing her? [49:31]
2. According to 1 Corinthians 12:4-7, what words are repeated to show both the differences and the unity in spiritual gifts?
3. In Romans 12:6-8, what are some of the different gifts Paul lists, and what does he tell believers to do with them?
4. What are some of the boxes people tend to place others in, and what happens when someone speaks or serves outside that box? [46:20]

Interpretation questions

1. Jesus calls the woman “daughter” before giving any details about her background. What does that suggest about how Jesus gives identity and dignity to people who may have been known mainly by their suffering? [49:31]
2. First Corinthians 12 says gifts are given “for the common good.” How does that change the way a person should think about a talent or spiritual gift they have? [01:03:55]
3. Romans 12 says believers have different gifts according to grace, and then says, “let us use them.” Why might it be important that Paul moves so quickly from receiving a gift to actually using it?
4. Colossians 3:23 says to work heartily for the Lord and not for men. How does that help a church think creatively and serve faithfully without turning ministry into a performance? [01:15:51]

Application questions

1. People are often known only by a job, a strength, a weakness, or a past failure. In what area of life has that kind of box felt most real lately, and what would it look like to receive identity first as one who is loved, worthy, and accepted by God? [49:16]
2. God has given each believer a gift for the good of others. What ability, burden, or pattern of service keeps showing up in this season of life, and what might be one simple way to use it more intentionally in the church or community? [57:25]
3. A gift can be wrapped up, stored away, and used only sparingly. What tends to put a gift back in the box—fear, comparison, busyness, insecurity, waiting for permission, or something else? [01:13:06]
4. Different gifts do not all look alike. Where is there a temptation to compare one person’s gift with another’s, or to expect everyone to serve in the same way? How could that be resisted more faithfully? [59:00]
5. “Damaged goods” is not a name God gives His people. Is there any weakness, limitation, health issue, age concern, or disappointment that has quietly started to feel like a reason to step back from serving? What might it mean to believe that as long as there is breath and life, there is still something to do for the Lord? [01:05:26]
6. Thinking outside the box can be faithful when it still keeps the principles of God’s church in view. Where might God be prompting fresh effort or a new idea in ministry, while still keeping the focus on teaching people about Him rather than putting on a show? [01:16:06]
7. “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” What would change this week if one ordinary act of service was done more fully for the Lord instead of for recognition, habit, or pressure from others? [01:16:19]