How do we embrace God’s call?

1) In order to embrace God’s call, we must come to a point where we can accept unanswered questions. (As discussed in session 3)

Spiritual Gifts: Discover and Act

2) In order to embrace God’s call, we must discover and act on our spiritual gifts.

In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul unpacks the works of God. In chapter 7, he tackles the call of God. And in chapters 12-14, he discusses the gifts of God.

It is vital, especially in times of distress, for each of us to figure out how God hardwired us with a particular gift.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sarah looked to use her gift of serving by making meals for others. Emerson used his gift of teaching to communicate what he was learning during the time. Countless musicians used their gifts to bless others with free concerts and to raise money for those who most needed it during the time.

What spiritual gift or gifts do you have? The gift of encouragement? Leadership? Teaching? Wisdom? Other?

Ephesians 4:11-13: “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.”

1 Peter 4:10-11: “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever.”

1 Corinthians 12:4-11: “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.”

Romans 12:4-8: “For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.”

You have a gift! Have you simply said, “God, in this distress, I’m available.”

Though you, too, need to be served while under this distress, and need to be encouraged in a positive way, will you make the independent decision that you will give, that you are available as a vessel of God?

How do we embrace God’s comfort?

1) Be willing to be a conduit for God’s comfort.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

Each of us must come to a point where we see and accept that part of God’s purpose behind our affliction is for us to receive comfort so that we can then turn around and give testimony to others about the comfort that God is giving us in our distress in order for them to get excited about also receiving God’s comfort themselves.

Which one will you be?

Some people have learned to simply shake their fist on the heels of their own suffering and become bitter for years. Others learn to make themselves available as a conduit for God’s comfort as they give voice to how God comforted them.

Do you have a life message to share out of your woundedness?

2) Meditate on Scripture and ask for God’s comfort.

Have you taken your eyes off of Scripture? Do you really believe the promises of Scripture and that those promises will come to you?

Testimonies

Read these testimonies:

“Thank you for sharing with me about 1 Peter 1:5, that God protects us through His power by faith. Awesome thought that God will protect me and knows exactly what is best for me. Again, a challenge for me to totally trust when humanly I can’t completely understand His ways. His ways aren’t always my ways or what I want. Even so, it brings a sense of comfort and inner peace.”

“I was hurt, furious, full of sorrow and so many more emotions that I can’t begin to express. But if you knew me, the queen of unforgiveness, that was a hard spot for me to be in. It was the worst period of my life, yet it was the best. It was the best because it was the season I entered into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I turned to Him with my sorrow and my built-up pain and I sought His comfort. Actually, I was too distraught to even think straight and He pulled me into His loving arms. He scooped me up in His arms and said He would take care of everything, and He did! The relief I received from now knowing that He was in control, and I no longer had to be, was indescribable. We completely committed our marriage to God and sought His will for our lives, not our own will. Once we both turned our marriage completely over to Him to work everything out, His miracles became so evident in our lives. A wonderful Christian counselor made available to us sermons that seemed made just for us; key people brought in and out of our lives at just the right time; quiet, cooperative, healthy children; events that helped us heal; unlikely friends to confide in; and on it goes. For the first time in our lives, we knew just how real God was.”