Think you can change the world? Not anymore? From the little boy who wants to be a fireman, to the little girl who dreams to one day be president, to the 25-year-old with a novel business idea to restore neighborhoods—at some point we all dream of changing the world. Right? Even if it’s short-lived.
Likewise, at some point most of us start believing that changing the world was just our childhood imagination. Maybe we should just get serious and drink coffee, eat our vegetables, and pay the bills.
Maybe we should leave changing the world to someone else.
Or maybe not.
What if changing the world is nothing more than loving the person in front of you with the gifts God put inside of you? Okay, no more grand questions. God already answered them all through Scriptures like this one:
We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. Romans 12:6-8 NIV
World change starts and ends with spiritual gifts, and if you’ve accepted Jesus into your life, you have access to the Holy Spirit and these everyday game-changers.
God needs people, maybe now more than ever, to discover, understand, and use their unique spiritual gifts in the world around them.
Do you think spiritual gifts are only for super special churchy people? Here’s a list of just a few of the gifts listed in Scripture. Do these seem super churchy to you? Maybe you have one of these gifts. How can you use it to love the next person, place, or group you interact with?
1. Hospitality. All this means is being good at hanging out with people and making them feel like you’re thinking of them and want them to be around you.
2. Encouragement. Also straightforward. God gave you the ability to help others realize who they are and how good God made them.
3. Discernment. You sometimes know the right thing to do when there is no clear right thing to do. Your decisions and influence can change the world around you.
4. Teaching. You somehow take information and turn it into human transformation. When you talk or write (even if it’s a social media post), people don’t just listen. They learn and change.
5. Giving. You like to give money, stuff, and time away. No, that does not come naturally to the rest of us. Not even close.
Think about how these gifts can change your workplace, family, school, church, and neighborhood. Do you see how much the world needs God’s gifts inside of you to come out into the open?
Think you might be able to change the world now? Okay, take a look at this:
1. Still skeptical about your spiritual gifts? Download this Spiritual Gifts Guide to find out what gifts there are.
2. Prayerfully select your top five gifts. If you can, ask some people who know you to help.
3. Write them down somewhere and, more importantly, put them to use in the places where the world needs God’s goodness.
Bottom line: those gifts God put in you might be able to change the world around you. So ask God to help you discover them, use them, and bring them into the world to glorify God.
