The Gatekeeper

What if I told you that you have the power to change and inspire the world? God gave us all unique gifts to glorify Him in our own way. He made you the way you are for a reason, and if you allow Him to mold you, He can bring forth something truly wonderful from your life. You’re never too young to inspire others either; personally, I was just fourteen when I discovered I loved to write, and I’ve been using this passion to inspire and uplift others ever since.

Any talent you have can be used to glorify God. Think about it—Jesus’ disciples worked as fishermen and tax collectors. In Acts, we hear about Christians who made leather or sold cloth. King David wrote and made music as a hobby, and his writings are now included in the book of Psalms. These songs and poems
are still inspiring people today. God gave us these different talents, not to divide us but to unite us. Together, we serve Him and become the body of Christ (Ephesians 2:19-22; 1 Peter 2:5). We all need each other and our different talents.

Imagine if your church had no one who knew how to lead music or take care of the church building. What if none of them liked to teach small children or had the courage to stand up in front of everyone and preach or sing? As Christians, each one of us has the privilege of showing others what Jesus is like, and we will all do it differently, because our God is so wonderful that He couldn’t possibly be fully expressed by just certain groups of people. When we offer ourselves to God, He takes each little bit of our lives and ourselves and molds us into something beautiful. • Jordyn Johnson

• Who in your life has inspired you? What about them inspired you?

• People with all kinds of talents and roles are mentioned in the Bible (not just the glamorous ones like rulers, public speakers, or musicians). When some of these people followed God, how did He work through their lives to show His goodness and bless other people?

• Take a moment this week to ask God to show you what gifts He’s given you and how you might serve the family of God—and those who don’t know Him yet—through the way He made you! (Remember, this may or may not be in the context of regular church activities.)

Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve others, as good stewards of the varied grace of God. 1 Peter 4:10 (CSB)

Read Verses:

John 10:7-18: Philippians 4:4-9; Colossians 3:1-3