“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 4:10-11 (ESV)

I try every single year to grow vegetables in my garden. And every year, the results are quite sad. But this year, I was home because of the quarantine, and I got a head start on my garden. I’m happy to report I grew more tomatoes than ever before! I was truly so proud of my little garden … until I saw my friend’s garden.

She not only produced tons of tomatoes, but also okra, peppers, onions, spinach, kale and a bunch of other vegetables I didn’t even know existed. All of a sudden, my tomatoes — as awesome as I thought they were — suddenly didn’t seem like much when compared to all of her vegetables.

It’s laughable to feel this way over tomatoes — I know! But it’s a small and real example of something we’ve all felt over and over in life: envy and jealousy.

God blesses and entrusts each of us with influence, talent, power and spiritual gifts to glorify Him and build His Kingdom. But sometimes we look around at our friends, communities, neighborhoods or small groups and wonder why we got the JV giftings when everyone else seems to have varsity-level giftings.

As women, we struggle with comparison, and this often leads us to envy. It’s so hard, especially when we see so many truly faithful and inspiring women around us!

One day, I realized God didn’t give me these gifts for me. He gave me these gifts for Him! Our gifts are given to us by God in order to serve those around us. My thinking totally shifted. I began to truly see how God has blessed me, and then I began to trust Him with my giftings and value them — no matter how they compare to the gifts or talents of others.

“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace … ” (1 Peter 4:10).

God calls you to use all your gifts, talents and influence to serve others. Fight the lie that her talents are better than yours. Fight the lie that God can’t use you for His Kingdom. Take inventory of your life, and prayerfully consider all the things God has given you to steward: your gifts, talents, influence, power and resources. You are meant to serve others with these. And you know what? That gifting you love … it’s meant to serve others. That gifting you aren’t sure is good enough … it’s meant to serve others.

I might never grow okra, but I’m certainly going to keep using my specific giftings to serve God and those around me. And my tomatoes sure were tasty!

Dear Lord, please remind us that the purpose of our giftings is to give You glory and serve others. We want to use our gifts to point people to You. Please help us to do that. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY

Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (ESV)

Matthew 5:16, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (ESV)

RELATED RESOURCES

For more information on using your gifts to bring God glory, grab a copy of Jamie’s newest book, You Be You: Why Satisfaction and Success Are Closer Than You Think.

Enter to WIN your very own copy of You Be You by Jamie Ivey. To celebrate this book, Jamie’s publisher will give away 5 copies! Enter to win by leaving a comment here. {We’ll randomly select 5 winners and then notify each one in the comments section by Monday, October 5, 2020.}

CONNECT

If you love listening to podcasts, be sure and check out Jamie’s podcast, The Happy Hour with Jamie Ivey, with new episodes releasing every Wednesday and Friday.

Catch up with Jamie on Instagram or Facebook, on her podcast or blog, or through her book.

REFLECT AND RESPOND

What is one gift in your life you can thank God for today?

How does your gifting bring glory to God and serve others?

© 2020 by Jamie Ivey. All rights reserved.