Advent
December 8, 2014

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11

The spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
   because the Lord has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,
   to bind up the broken-hearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
   and release to the prisoners;
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,
  and the day of vengeance of our God;
   to comfort all who mourn;
to provide for those who mourn in Zion—
   to give them a garland instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
   the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.— 61:1-3a

Could you make a list like this one? If you have accepted the spirit of God upon you, what have you been anointed to do? It might be a good experience to really stop for a time and think about that. I think God who created each of us instilled in us certain talents. When we are most at home in using those talents, we most likely are in sync with what God has called us to do. The challenge is to recognize our talents, to hone them by study and good use, and to apply them when appropriate.  All of these tasks are easier to say than to do.

I have noticed in my many years of working as a part of various churches, or any organization for that matter, there are people doing things because the things need to be done and nobody else will do them. The problem with that is the person is most liked working in an area where they have limited skills while not doing the things at which they excel. The whole body of Christ suffers when all its members are not working at their full potential.

This week take a few minutes and write your Isaiah 61. The Lord has sent me to . . . .
You might be surprise what your list includes. What are the things that bring you joy even if they are hard to do and may be frustrating? When while you are working do you feel closest to God?

Of course, we all have to do some things that are not our cup of tea but knowing where you are gifted is a good start toward fulfilling your calling.

Prayer: Lord, speak to me. Help me see my passions for service, my skills to address them, and what I need to do to improve them. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.