God has given you a special gift

Apollos then decided to go to Achaia, so the believers in Ephesus helped him by writing to the believers in Achaia urging them to welcome him. When he arrived, he was a great help to those who through God’s grace had become believers. For with his strong arguments he defeated the Jews in public debates by proving from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Messiah. (verses 27,28)

Read Acts 18:12-28

The Bible tells us that all believers have been gifted by God so that they can serve him (1 Corinthians 12:6). These gifts have been given to us, not for us to focus attention on ourselves, but rather to honour Jesus, the one we serve.

Apollos had been gifted by God. He was an eloquent speaker who could tell others about Jesus as Saviour in a powerful way. It’s wonderful how the believers in Ephesus acknowledged this gift in Apollos and how they encouraged him to use it. That’s how God wants his church to be – not believer competing with believer but everyone honouring and encouraging in others what God has given to his church to the glory of his name.

God has also given you a special gift. Have you acknowledged it and are you using it to serve him? Think about it, and ask him every day how you can do this.

Heavenly Father, help me to honour everything that you have given me for this life. Take all selfishness out of my heart and help me to use all my gifts for you. Amen.

by Len Tscharke, in ‘Guidance for each Day’ (LCA, Openbook, 2002)

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