Meet Elijah. He’s a Tishbite. This means he’s a farmer from Tishbe, located in Gilead on the east side of the Jordan River. From Scripture, that’s about all we know about his background. Was Elijah a priest? No. Did he belong to a prestigious family? No. Had he lived a righteous life? No idea. Was he incredibly gifted, charismatic or handsome? Scripture doesn’t mention it. Yet God called him to perform one of the Bible’s most powerful miracles and spark revival in the nation of Israel.
Why him? The Bible doesn’t tell us. And as quickly as Elijah turned into a spiritual superstar, he spiraled down into spiritual defeat. He wasn’t perfect. Far from it. But God called him.
Elijah was a man just like us (James 5:17). And he willingly accepted God’s call. Apparently in God’s eyes, anyone can be called and everyone is useful in God’s plan. Even fashion faux pas farmers from the east side of the Jordan!
I so often hear people tout celebrities, excited that they have made some vague reference to faith. Or others who point to some highly gifted individual and say, “Can you imagine what that man/woman could do for the kingdom if they were a Christian?”. And all the rest of us in our daily lives, faithfully carrying out our responsibilities at work and in our home feel our contribution doesn’t matter. Elijah was no celebrity and he probably wasn’t educated in the finest schools or part of the social elite. He was merely willing.
The truth is, God calls all of us. If you are a follower of Jesus, you are called. “To what?” you ask? Consider this:
Now, dear brothers and sisters, regarding your question about the special abilities the Spirit gives us. I don’t want you to misunderstand this… A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.
It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have. (See 1 Corinthians 11:1,7,11.)
So, yes friend, God is calling you. He is calling you to use the gift(s) you have been given to help others. You are not excluded. You are not too shy, too average, too busy, too broken, too marred by your past, or too small. God doesn’t look for perfect people, talented people, or spiritual superstars. He looks for willing hearts.
Do you know what your spiritual gift is friend? He is calling you to use it- to be set on fire for HIS glory, enabling you to do things you know would never be possible by your own power and wisdom.
Do you know what your spiritual gift(s) is/are?
A great resource to help determine your spiritual gift is below:
Click to access lwcF_MYCS_030526_Spiritual_Gifts_Survey.pdf
