Creamer column: Discovering our gifts

A few weeks ago my pastor announced that he was going to be teaching a series on Sunday morning about the Spirit of God and the gifts of the spirit. After church I talked with him about a series that I have taught in several different situations about the gifts of the spirit. When he asked if I would be interested in teaching the series on Wednesday nights, I accepted the opportunity.

I begin teaching this Wednesday night. I can’t believe how excited I am to have this opportunity. I pulled the material out recently and started reviewing, rewriting, and preparing to teach my lessons. I have been seeking the Lord for some good stories to illustrate the points I want to cover. The more I read over the material, the more excited I am getting to teach this class.

It might be hard for you to imagine my excitement because I teach school every day. The truth is I enjoy teaching. I am called to be a teacher. While I have the opportunity every day to fulfill my calling, this is different because I am getting to teach at church. It is also encouraging to me because my pastor has faith in me to do a good job. That is driving me to work harder so I will earn his trust.

My topic is one of my favorites: spiritual gifts. I firmly believe that many people are not plugged into the kingdom of God because they haven’t discovered their gifts. There is so much work that needs to be done. If people could discover their hidden talents and gifts and then get plugged in where they could use them, the kingdom of God would make great advances on the earth. People need to understand their gifts and then be empowered by the Spirit and church leadership to operate in their calling.

I have a deeply held belief that we have the responsibility to raise up the next generation so they can carry the gospel to the generation after them. I want to see the next generation go farther than I have been able to go in the Kingdom. The key is that they have to be raised up and trained in the things of God and the ways of God so they can advance the kingdom.

It is also important for the next generation to learn how to pass along what they learn. They need to learn to be self-replicating in order for the kingdom to continue. It is one thing to learn something and an entirely different thing to know how to teach someone what you know. The leaders in the body of Christ need to learn how to train the next generation in their gifting and calling.

The best place to learn that is within the church. The church is a safe place where if a mistake is made, an older and wiser person will be there to help correct and move things along in the right direction. The church should be the training ground where we can learn so we can take the gospel outside the four walls of the church to the world that so desperately needs what we have. God needs people to operate in their gifts both inside and outside the church so we can attract the lost and connect them with the savior.

It is important for each of us to discover our gifts and how God wants to use us in his kingdom. He has a purpose for us that uniquely fit our personality. Once we learn about our gifts it is important to understand how they operate in the kingdom. We can learn by being around people who have our same gifts, and learning to practice using them where others can help us become better. No one starts out doing everything right; we all have to go through a learning curve to become proficient in our gifts.

I want to encourage you to discover your gifts and talents. God made you uniquely to do specific things in the kingdom of God. He wants you to become proficient in the use of your gifts and talents so the kingdom can grow and prosper. As you grow older and wiser in the kingdom, God wants you to impart your talents, skills, abilities, and gifts into the next generation so they can pass it on to the generation that follows behind them. God’s plan is for the kingdom to grow and continue on and you play an important part of that plan.

Doug Creamer’s website is is located at www.dougcreamer.com. You can email him at doug@dougcreamer.com