In writing and speaking, I consider myself someone who helps others to learn how to walk their faith daily. The teach-a-man-to-fish concept helps me explain. If we get to the root problem, we can find solutions. Glossing over the symptoms is more like feeding a man for a day. If we don't deal with the real problem, hunger emerges over and over and over. Hunger for our purpose, the meaning of life, and the call to do great things. It's easy to be dissatisfied when we feel handicapped by fear, misery, resentment, and pain.
It all centers around a few main questions.
What's that daily faith thing look like?
How do I do it when there's all this junk in my life?
That's why I wrote Gems of Wisdom: For a Treasure-filled Life
. I want to help people accept Christ's call on their lives in spite of the battles going on around the situations in their lives.I get a deep sense of fulfillment when someone is freed from past pain to walk on their God-given path. That's how I know I'm living in my gifting, my call. It's in the sense of satisfaction I feel, the rightness deep in my being. I want to help other people have that sense of deep satisfaction.
We are called for a purpose. But many folks can't answer that call because they've been deafened by the noise of the emotional daily battle. That's how I felt. Enter God and His message in Romans 8:28.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (NIV)
I don't consider myself an evangelist who gives the call to become a Christian. I can, but that's not my specific gifting.
I'm better suited to be the encourager helping someone learn to live as a Christian on a daily basis and reach for the dreams God placed inside of them. I think our giftings come out in the challenges we overcome. Those challenges are our training ground, the place we learn to use the gifts personally so we can turn around and use them to help others.
Is it okay that I don't claim that gifting? It's actually scriptural. Not everyone is meant to be and do everything.
God put our bodies together in such a way that even the parts that seem the least important are valuable. 25He did this to make all parts of the body work together smoothly, with each part caring about the others. 26If one part of our body hurts, we hurt all over. If one part of our body is honored, the whole body will be happy.
27Together you are the body of Christ. Each one of you is part of his body. 28First, God chose some people to be apostles and prophets and teachers for the church. But he also chose some to work miracles or heal the sick or help others or be leaders or speak different kinds of languages.29Not everyone is an apostle. Not everyone is a prophet. Not everyone is a teacher. Not everyone can work miracles. 1st ~Corinthians 12: 24b-29 (CEV)
So why do you supposed we try to lump all Christians together to do the same job?
What's your gifting?
Angie Breidenbach
