Using Our Gifts for Good

Scripture: "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms." - 1 Peter 4:10

1. Our gifts are given to us to benefit others and bring glory to God.

2. When we use our gifts selfishly, we run the risk of losing sight of their true purpose.

3. Using our gifts for the betterment of others brings fulfillment and joy to our lives.

4. God has entrusted us with unique abilities and talents to be used for His kingdom.

5. It is important to constantly evaluate how we are using our gifts and if they align with God's will.

Dear Heavenly Father, help us to use our gifts for the good of others and to bring glory to Your name. Guide us in discerning how best to utilize our abilities in a way that honors You. Amen.

My story

I grew up in Soshanguve, surrounded by a close-knit community of believers. From a young age, I knew that I had been blessed with a talent for singing. My voice was powerful and stirring, and I quickly became a fixture in our church choir.

As I grew older, my gift only blossomed further. I began to perform in local talent shows and even pursued a career in music. But as I gained more recognition and success, I started to lose sight of why I had been given this gift in the first place.

I became consumed with my own ambitions and desires, using my gift for my own selfish gain rather than for the glory of God. I chased after fame and fortune, ignoring the still, small voice in my heart that reminded me of my true purpose.

But God had a way of getting my attention. One day, as I stood on stage performing to a packed crowd, I felt a sudden emptiness wash over me. Despite the applause and adoration of the audience, I realized that I was missing something crucial.

In that moment, I knew that I had strayed from the path that God had set for me. I had allowed my pride and selfishness to cloud my vision, and I had neglected to use my gift for its intended purpose – to bring others closer to Him.

With a heavy heart, I stepped off the stage and fell to my knees in prayer. I asked God to forgive me for my arrogance and to help me rediscover the true purpose of my gift. And as I poured out my heart to Him, I felt a sense of peace and clarity wash over me.

From that day forward, I made a conscious effort to use my gift of song to glorify God and bring light and hope to those around me. I sang not for my own glory, but for His. And in doing so, I found a sense of fulfillment and joy that I had never experienced before.

I learned a valuable lesson – when we use our gifts selfishly, we run the risk of losing sight of their true purpose. But when we surrender our talents and abilities to God, He can use them in ways beyond our wildest imaginations. And in serving Him, we find true fulfillment and purpose.

Comments

Restoring Relationships

Last Tuesday, during Eskom’s Stage 6 load-shedding, I sat in my dimly lit Akasia living room, staring at a WhatsApp message from my cousin Thabo. Our once-close bond had fractured over a political debate—ANC vs. EFF—that spiraled into personal jabs. His text read: *“You’ve become a coconut, bra. Black on the outside, white-washed inside.”* My reply? A venomous *“At least I’m not a populist clown.”* Pride, that sly serpent, had coiled around our tongues. But as the generator hummed and my coffee cooled, Colossians 3:13 flickered in my mind like a candle in the dark: *“Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”* Unconditional. No asterisks. No “but he started it.” Just grace. **II. The Theology of Broken Pipes** South Africa knows fractures. Our Vaal River, choked by sewage and neglect, mirrors relational toxicity—grievances left to fester. Yet, Christ’s forgiveness isn’t a passive drip; it’s a flash flood. To “bear with one another” (Colossians 3:13) is to choo...

Cultivating Patience

## The Divine Delay: When God Hits Pause on Your Breakthrough (From My Akasia Veranda) Brothers, sisters, let me tell you, this Highveld sun beating down on my veranda in Akasia isn’t just baking the pavement. It’s baking my *impatience*. You know the feeling? You’ve prayed, you’ve declared, you’ve stomped the devil’s head (in the spirit, naturally!), yet that breakthrough? It feels like waiting for a Gautrain on a public holiday schedule – promised, but mysteriously absent. Psalm 27:14 shouts: *"Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage!"* But waiting? In *this* economy? With Eskom plunging us into darkness and the price of a loaf of bread climbing faster than Table Mountain? It feels less like divine strategy and more like celestial sabotage. I get it. Just last week, stuck in the eternal queue at the Spar parking lot (seems half of Tshwane had the same pap-and-chops craving), watching my dashboard clock tick towards yet another loadshedding slot, my ow...

Beware the Bloodless Gospel

## The Forge of Faith: Escaping the Bloodless Gospel’s Embrace **Akasia, Pretoria — July 2025** The winter air bites sharp as a *mamba*’s tooth here in Akasia. I sip rooibos tea on my porch, watching the *veld* shimmer gold under a brittle sun. On my phone, headlines scream: *“59 White South Africans Granted US Refugee Status!”* . Elsewhere, a viral clip shows a prophet in sequinned robes demanding a congregant’s salary “for angelic investment.” My chest tightens. *This*, friends, is the fruit of a **bloodless gospel**—a faith anaemic, diluted, divorced from the Cross’s terrible furnace. It whispers, *“Just believe,”* ignoring Christ’s roar: *“If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me!”* (Luke 9:23). ### I. The Lukewarm Swamp: Where Truth Drowns *“So, because you are lukewarm... I will spit you out of My mouth.”* (Revelation 3:16). **Picture this:** Laodicea’s aqueducts, stagnant with...

The Chronicles of Load-Shedding . Harold Mawela

Search This Blog