What kind of person are you when it comes to entering the pool or a hot tub? Are you a dip your big toe in slowly, ease your ankles in and so on until finally you are shoulder deep? Are you the kind that has the "go big or go home" philosophy, you plunge in all at once allowing your entire body to experience the water and its temperatures all at once? or Are you the person that avoids the water all together, I mean who wants to get all wet anyway?
Sunday at church we were given a charge. A charge to use the gifts God has given us. To not hesitate but instead to JUMP all in and use our gifts and be showered with the blessings that come from using those gifts. Jeff asked at this point in our lives how are we using our gifts. Are we using them just a little, enough to be able to say "yes I use my gifts" but not using them enough to where they interrupt our everyday lives. Are we burying our gifts and not using them at all. Sort of the philosophy "life is great as it is, why use gifts and get tied up with other people's problems." Or are you using your gifts to the fullest allowing God to work through you and use you to strengthen the Kingdom.
My parents and Brian's parents have pools in their backyards. I have always been the type to approach the pool stick my toe in, ease down the first step wetting my ankles and gradually, very very gradually slipping my entire body into the pool. I have always made sure that my body was comfortable and gone at my own controlled pace into the water.
This is also very true of how I use my spiritual gifts. I have always been open to using my gifts just as I have been open to getting into the pool. It is just that I have used my gifts on my time table and with me in as much control as possible. I have used my gifts at a pace to where they don't interrupt my comfortable life. It was Sunday when I realized that trusting God, and showing God the love that He deserves means that I jump all in! To use my spiritual gifts to their ultimate potential. I am so thankful for the gifts that God has blessed me with. It is important that we know that God blesses us all with spiritual gifts. We can choose to use them and grow them into even more or we can bury them and watch them disappear. May we all trust God enough to Jump all in!
