Have You Found It Yet?

Well, though that is me in the picture above, I am not a contestant in that TV show The Voice : ) All who have ever heard me sing know that there is NO way I would ever be able to participate in any type of contest that involves singing…unless it is a “No-talent-talent-show” type of thing. However, I do have a voice. I use it in my classroom full of college students. I use it in my home with my family. I use it with my friends. I use it when I write on this blog. I am not 100% proficient using it; but the Lord knows what He is doing and He is teaching me every day how to improve the way I deliver His message with it. 

God gives a voice to all of His children. With this voice, all of us who belong to Him are able to tell others our testimony and spread the gospel to those within our sphere of influence. This voice is different for each Christian. The way it is broadcast depends on the individual gift each child of God has been endowed with…and don’t get me the ole’ “I don’t have any gifts” thingy…we all got something:

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4: 10

Besides, let’s not forget that as a child of God, we have the greatest gift of all, the Holy Spirit.

The thing is that the way we express God’s message and our personal testimony differs from person to person. We are all unique and so are our gifts. Even if we share the same gift with someone, the way we express it comes out different. Take two of your favorite Christian singers, for instance. Say, Jeremy Camp and Chris Tomlin, both employ their incredible talent to sing God’s praises and move crowds to worship. Each of them has an unmistakably distinct way of doing it.

It is the same with everyone else. There are those who have the gift of music as they play instruments and speak musical notes as their second language. Others spread the gospel through their gift of management and administration. They are so organized and so good at budgeting that those around them see God as a priority in their lives for the way they manage their resources and spend their money. They can teach others how to do the same, how to honor God with their stewardship of the material. 

There are others who have the gift of teaching, or of research and discernment. They can tell others about Christ in ways that are easy to understand for those who are lost. They can dig into The Word and see truth to then communicate it to those around them. 

The gift of encouragement is one I personally appreciate dearly. Don’t you love it when you find someone who always has something uplifting to say to you? The funny thing is that they don’t even realize it. They are the first ones to say something nice, and the last ones to see how special that was. Hospitality, the gift of making someone feel welcome and at home…like a breath of fresh air!

We can go on and on and on, but the point is that we each use our gifts in our own personal way. After all, it was granted to us, so the way we use it has to resemble us. I cannot compare the way I use my “voice” with anyone else. I was wonderfully and fearfully made by my Creator to be myself. My testimony is my own and I have to share it in my own words. The relationship I have with Christ is mine, and I have to talk about it with my own voice. I cannot pretend I am who I am not. That’s when others begin to distrust us.

God has given me the gift of expressing Him through this blog. Therefore, I have to honor Him by speaking with my own voice, regardless of how it may sound. Some may like it, many may not, but as long as I am being true to Him, who guides me, I am going to go on.

In the end, we may not all be able to manifest the miracle of God’s presence in us the way that Mandisa or Natalie Grant do. We may never win American Idol or even audition for anything like it. But let’s not forget, we all have a voice and it was given to us to be used to spread His message. It may not be glamorous, but it is, O so glorious!

How do you express the message God has entrusted you with? Have you found your “voice”?

Linking with: One Way to Peace & Hope, Little R and R and Whole Hearted Home