Unwrapping Your Gifts

I currently oversee the Junior High youth group at The Coastlands. We're about a third of the way into a 12-week series called "Rock Solid: Building Our Lives On Solid Ground." The overarching theme is obedience, and one of my goals for this study is to help our Junior Highers apply to their lives the things they're learning. I've been telling them that God wants us to progress from knowers to doers. Knowing God's word is HUGELY powerful in itself. But even more powerful--and more to the point of what God calls us to do in this life--is putting the things we know into practice so that lives will be changed (ours and others').

The paragraphs that follow are from the outline the Junior Highers read this past weekend. Mainly, I wanted them to understand how precious and gifted they are as unique creations of God AND that God gave them their uniqueness/gifting for the purpose of blessing and serving others.

What a joy and a privilege to lead young people in God's ways!

You are unique.

Not unique weird—unique like, God created you, fashioned you, formed you, put you together…in a very distinctive and exceptional way. On purpose!

God gave you gifts.

Not gifts like the presents you’re looking forward to finding under the tree 37 days from today. These gifts are actually better—way better…even though they may not seem that impressive at first. They’ll last a lot longer and serve you much better than anything you unwrap on Christmas morning.

These gifts come in a package.

Not a package wrapped in fancy paper and ribbon. No—instead, these gifts are wrapped in the package called you. That package is infinitely more amazing than the best and most creatively wrapped Christmas present from the pages of Martha Stewart Living. You are the container of these gifts…but you might not know it. They’re yours to unwrap… and God wants to show you how.

These gifts are yours…but they’re not really for you.

These gifts are truly appreciated only when they’re used for others. Instead of comparing yourself with others and wanting to be like them, God wants to show you who you really are—the person He made you to be—so you can feel good about that person, love that person…and use your gifts to bless and serve others. It doesn't get any better than that.