Treasured Ministries

Offering women a biblical solution for inner healing

Spiritual Gifts

Exhale

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True confidence flows from knowing that the greatest gift you can bring to the world is becoming the woman God created you to be. Part of this journey is confidently embracing your God-given spiritual gifts and understanding that he gave you these gifts to empower you to love others and share truth with them. That is true humility.

Step out of the shadows, brave heart. Come away from the sidelines. Who told you that hiding is humility? God has given you a spiritual gift to share. You have something to offer. That gift was given TO you but it was not FOR you. Hiding it is not humility. Hiding keeps you from using your gifts to help others.

Your purpose is a pathway to sharing God’s love, and our spiritual gifts are the vehicle to take us along that path. The Holy Spirit breathes ability into us and as we exhale, the life of Christ is shared and fills the world with his love. (Ephesians 4:4-10) 

Sadly, I believe we are often taught to hold our breath in the name of humility, but nothing could be further from the truth. False humility forgets about God’s power and paralyzes us with fear. 

Sharing your spiritual gift with others breathes the life of Christ to them. Your voice is valuable and can make a difference in the lives of others. (Ephesians 4:12)

The people in your life you are called to love are worth it. Let your love for them motivate you to move beyond your fear.

Sometimes I argue with God and hide.  . . . Who am I to serve you? What about past failures? I am not good enough. I am inadequate. I am afraid of failing!

And then other times, I stop trying so hard to BE and just surrender and rest in the power of the GREAT I AM. I am not called to create light—I am called to reflect the light of Christ by listening to and being led by the Holy Spirit. But when my heart is tuned inward in false humility, my heart is not facing the right direction to reflect his light. Focusing on your inadequacies brings attention to you instead of Jesus.

Fan the flame of your spiritual gifts by facing the other way. Turn it outward by taking steps this week to use your gifts to touch others. Find freedom to become all God created and redeemed you to be by letting go of fear to fan into flame your spiritual gifts for his glory.

I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:6–7 NLT, emphasis mine).

God’s provision, including your spiritual gifts, flows to you and through you so you can glorify him and love others. God built you to accomplish his purpose for your life (Deuteronomy 7:6; Ephesians 2:10). He imparted spiritual gifts to you the moment you accepted Christ (1 Corinthians 12:4–11 and Romans 12:3–8).

The way you are wired—your personality and passions, your character and natural abilities, and your spiritual gifts—is part of God’s provision for your God-given vision . . . not something to hide.

Different spiritual gifts flowing from the Holy Spirit provide just what you need for what God has called you to do. The diversity in our gifts creates the need for us to link arms with one another to share his good news. And as we stand together, our gifts fit perfectly (Ephesians 4:16). And as each one of us does our special work, like instruments playing together in God’s orchestra, we will make beautiful music that sings of the glory of God. But if we hide our instruments, the music simply isn’t complete. 

You matter. God designed you to make a difference. Embrace your spiritual gifts and allow them to grow. Step into the stream of godly girl power by using your spiritual gifts to touch others and fulfill your God-given purpose.

Weekly Nourish Scripture: Ephesians 4:7-16

Exhale

by

True confidence flows from knowing that the greatest gift you can bring to the world is becoming the woman God created you to be. Part of this journey is confidently embracing your God-given spiritual gifts and understanding that he gave you these gifts to empower you to love others and share truth with them. That is true humility.

Hiding Is Not Humility

Step out of the shadows, brave heart. Come away from the sidelines. Who told you that hiding is humility? God has given you a spiritual gift to share. You have something to offer. That gift was given TO you but it was not FOR you.

  • Hiding it is not humility.
  • Hiding keeps you from using your gifts to help others.

Your purpose is a pathway to sharing God’s love, and our spiritual gifts are the vehicle to take us along that path. The Holy Spirit breathes ability into us and as we exhale, the life of Christ is shared and fills the world with his love. (Ephesians 4:4-10)

Exhale and Share the Life of Christ with Others

Sadly, I believe we are often taught to hold our breath in the name of humility, but nothing could be further from the truth. False humility forgets about God’s power and paralyzes us with fear.

Sharing your spiritual gift with others breathes the life of Christ to them. Your voice is valuable and can make a difference in the lives of others. (Ephesians 4:12)

The people in your life you are called to love are worth it. Let your love for them motivate you to move beyond your fear.

Sometimes I argue with God and hide.  . . . Who am I to serve you? What about past failures? I am not good enough. I am inadequate. I am afraid of failing!

And then other times, I stop trying so hard to BE and just surrender and rest in the power of the GREAT I AM. I am not called to create light—I am called to reflect the light of Christ by listening to and being led by the Holy Spirit. But when my heart is tuned inward in false humility, my heart is not facing the right direction to reflect his light. Focusing on your inadequacies brings attention to you instead of Jesus.

Use Your Gifts to Touch Others

Fan the flame of your spiritual gifts by facing the other way. Turn it outward by taking steps this week to use your gifts to touch others.

Find freedom to become all God created and redeemed you to be by letting go of fear to fan into flame your spiritual gifts for his glory.

I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:6–7 NLT, emphasis mine).

God’s provision, including your spiritual gifts, flows to you and through you so you can glorify him and love others. God built you to accomplish his purpose for your life (Deuteronomy 7:6; Ephesians 2:10). He imparted spiritual gifts to you the moment you accepted Christ (1 Corinthians 12:4–11 and Romans 12:3–8).

The way you are wired—your personality and passions, your character and natural abilities, and your spiritual gifts—is part of God’s provision for your God-given vision . . . not something to hide.

Different spiritual gifts flowing from one Holy Spirit provide just what you need for what God has called you to do. The diversity in our gifts creates the need for us to link arms with one another to share his good news. And as we stand together, our gifts fit perfectly (Ephesians 4:16). And as each one of us does our special work, like instruments playing together in God’s orchestra, we will make beautiful music that sings of the glory of God. But if we hide our instruments, the music simply isn’t complete.

You matter. God designed you to make a difference.

Embrace your spiritual gifts and allow them to grow. Step into the stream of godly girl power by using your spiritual gifts to touch others and fulfill your God-given purpose.

Nourish Scripture: Ephesians 4:7-16

Want more? Download Nourishing Your Heart to discover how to connect with God’s Word in a way that transforms your life. 

Blog written by Aliene Thompson. Aliene Thompson is the founder of Treasured Ministries and the Author of the Nourish Bible Study Series. © 2019 Treasured Ministries.

The Crown

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The weight of the historic golden crown ordained with jewels settled on her head but seemed to reach into her soul. At age twenty-five, Elizabeth of Windsor would never be the same. The crown not only rested on her head but also embraced the core of her being. The princess became a queen. With this new identity, the crown would not only grace her head but would also guide her every step . . . and her destiny.

The Weight of the Crown

And as I watched the series The Crown on Netflix, I was fascinated with how the crown impacted Elizabeth’s life and decisions—it carried greater weight than even her family. One scene caught my attention in particular. After her father’s early death, as Elizabeth faced the magnitude of becoming queen at age twenty-five, her grandmother wrote these words of wisdom to her:

While you mourn your father, you must also mourn someone else. Elizabeth Mountbatten. For she has now been replaced by another person. Elizabeth Regina (Regina is Latin for queen). The two Elizabeth’s will frequently be in conflict with each other. The fact is the crown must win. Must always win. (Episode 2, Season 1, The Crown, Netflix)

Let that statement just settle in your heart a bit. The crown must win. Your new identity as queen must win. Embracing who you are over who you were must lead the way.

Elizabeth would need to intentionally embrace this new reality and let the crown reign through her choices. Reign over her desires. Reign over her feelings. Reign over her inadequacies. Reign over her past and future. Reign over her purpose. She no longer lived for herself. The crown—her new identity—reigned in her heart.

How the Crown Relates to Our Identity

This is the very essence involved in embracing our authentic core identity, a process that is at the heart of the Christian life.

You see, brave heart, the death of Jesus Christ allows him to reign in you. When you accepted his offer of salvation, you became a queen crowned with far greater treasure than Elizabeth’s earthly crown. You are crowned with Jesus’ righteousness for a purpose beyond yourself.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Peter 2:9 NIV)

And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. (Romans 8:17 NLT)

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! (2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT)

For Christ to reign in our life, his crown must reign in the core of our being. This is not selfishness or pride. This is embracing the reality of who we are in Christ.

For years, I struggled with my identity, a struggle that gave way to some unhealthy choices. Things began to improve when I understood more about authentic core identity. You too can make this shift by allowing the crown to win in your thoughts and faith and in the core of who you are.

The Battle between Our Identities

Much as the two Elizabeths would wrestle, our old and new identities battle in our heart. But Jesus fights for our heart and the battle is won as we surrender to the crown that is rightfully ours by embracing the words he writes on our heart through faith.

This is why we incorporate authentic core identity into the Respond step of the Nourish Bible Study Method.

Embracing Our Authentic Core Identity

So, what do I mean by embracing authentic core identity?

Embracing authentic core identity is agreeing in your heart by faith with God’s blueprint for your life and how he sees you.

Only by seeking your Creator can you uncover your true identity. Finding your core identity is not about frantically striving to be someone, but surrendering to God by allowing his Word to define the purpose for which you were created.

This is a precious treasure to guard by faith against outside influences…

  • What others say
  • Your circumstances
  • Your actions
  • Your past
  • Your feelings
  • How others treat you
  • Worldly standards

…so you can truly give to others by embracing all God has created you to be.

Part of your authentic core identity is who you are as God’s child with your life hidden in Christ. It is also the specific purpose your heavenly Father designed for you before you were born to bring him glory (Ephesians 2:10). Embracing the unique way he has made you and the spiritual gifts he has given you to support your purpose is also a part of embracing your authentic God-given identity (Romans 12:1–8; Psalm 139:13–14).

Authentic core identity is a deep topic and one I will discuss in greater detail in our podcast and video teaching message this week. Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes to listen and our YouTube channel to watch.

And today, may you remember the treasure you are. Whatever happens, brave heart—hold your head high. Carry the crown in the core of your being as you embrace your identity in Christ.

ONWARD!

Nourish Scripture: Romans 8:1-17 

Take the next step by downloading Nourishing Your Heart to discover the key to connecting with God’s Word in a way that transforms your life. 

Blog written by Aliene Thompson. Aliene Thompson is the founder of Treasured Ministries and the Author of the Nourish Bible Study Series. © 2019 Treasured Ministries.