God's Plan For You: Learn It and Live It

Are you feeling depressed, out of sorts, overly anxious, and waiting for the next shoe to drop in your life?  Do you feel that you are living day by day with no direction, no real reason for existence?  Would you be surprised to find out that there are hundreds of millions of people all over the world feeling that exact same way today and more importantly there is a reason for this?

Now that I have gotten your attention, let us more closely look at the three reasons why you are experiencing this in your life right now and more interesting how I knew about you.  This was not a simple exercise of mind-reading or knowing anything about what condition you are currently in, it was all based on three principles set forth in the Holy Bible.  Oftentimes in our busy daily life, we do not take the time to reflect on why we are here, what we are doing, or where we are going after this world.  This is exactly why we are feeling the way we do. 

Why Are We Here?

We are here on earth in order to know and to love God, to do good according to His will, and to go someday to heaven.  When we forget about why we are really here on earth, we begin to become confused about our purpose in life and begin to walk aimlessly through our life.  One day goes into another, into another, and into another.  Soon days become years and years become decades.  Then the decades become a lifetime- a lifetime of bitterness and distraught as we soon realize all we did here on earth amounted to a whole mess of nothing.  God created us in His image and gave us each unique talent to use for his work.

How To Find Your Talents

There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each individual, the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.”   Saint Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians, offers us a great message of hope.  Each of us – every one of us – is uniquely equipped by God with amazing gifts and talents.  Our talents and unique abilities are a blessing from God — a gift from the Lord.  No one is more or less equipped.  Each of us is uniquely made from some very particular work of the Lord.   These gifts are for some benefit – not just for ourselves – but for the glory of God.  What are the unique talents and gifts God has given you?  How can you share them with the Lord and our community?  Who you are is God’s gift to you.  Who you become is your gift back to God.

What Type Of Talents Should We Be Looking For?

1. Corinthians 12:7-11 To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit. 8 To one is given through the Spirit the expression of wisdom; to another the expression of knowledge according to the same Spirit; 9 to another faith by the same Spirit; to another gift of healing by the one Spirit; 10 to another mighty deed; to another prophecy; to another discernment of spirits; to another variety of tongues; to another interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing them individually to each person as he wishes.

The same Holy Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.”

2. Romans 12:6-8 6. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us exercise them: if prophecy, in proportion to the faith; 7. if ministry, in ministering; if one is a teacher, in teaching; 8. if one exhorts, in exhortation; if one contributes, in generosity; if one is over others, with diligence; if one does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

(These gifts are talents given to you when God formed you in the womb. These talents are referred to as gifts because they are freely given to us by God so we can contribute to our society and bring glory to Him as we utilize them. These gifts help us to develop our personalities, character, and often our vocations These are gifts that in some measure are present in each of us, even though one may be more prevalent than another.)

PROPHECY (Prophet / Perceiver) – one who clearly perceives the will of God – not to be confused with the function/position of ‘prophet’ who is one in that role due to anointing of the Lord and testing/discernment by the body over a period of time. (would be a strong intercessor, having great faith that God answers prayer)

MINISTRY (Server / Doer) – one who loves to serve others and manifests hospitality.

TEACHER – one who loves to research and communicate truth – a person of faith who leads others to grasp and hold on to the truth.

EXHORTER – one who loves to encourage others to live a victorious life - one who moves others to achieve or accomplish or be what God calls them to be and do.

CONTRIBUTOR (GIVER / ALMS GIVER) -one who loves to give time, talent, energy, and financial/material means to benefit others and advance the Gospel; a person of faith who knows that God supplies every need, and is willing to put themselves and their resources at the service of others.

ADMINISTRATOR (FACILITATOR / LEADER) - one who loves to organize, lead or direct, knowing by faith that any project can be accomplished by bringing together the right people to do it – one that is "over others" - a person of broad vision, the administrator grasps the overall picture and sees all that is involved.

ONE WHO SHOWS MERCY (PERSON OF COMPASSION) – one who shows compassion, love, and care to those in need; one who readily recognizes the pain people experience and reaches out to bring healing and love into action; as a person of faith, helping others to work together in love.

3. 1 Peter 4:8-11 shows us how to use our Motivational Gifts – "As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace. Whoever preaches, let it be with the words of God; whoever serves, let it be with the strength that God supplies, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen."
4. The Isaiah Gifts (Is.11:1-3) / Traditional Gifts

(The Holy Spirit is poured out in fullness in Baptism – virtues given freely to all believers to sustain the moral life of the Christian – that means you get them all ! The gifts of the Holy Spirit are freely given so we will fulfill the God-given purpose of our lives. In the sacrament of Confirmation, we individually confirm our acceptance of these gifts, but often they are not "stirred up" into activity until we are "baptized in the Holy Spirit". Ask yourself – how am I using the traditional gifts of the spirit – the Isaiah gifts to fulfill my God-given purpose in life?)

Wisdom – an understanding of our inner being, which enables us to see God’s viewpoint or vision of the world. It helps us develop the ability to make judgments about everything in our lives on the basis of a deep, personal union with the Lord and his abiding love.

Understanding – the enlightenment of our minds and hearts with divine truth so that we can grasp the mysteries of the Lord. This gift enables us to see the Lord more deeply. It also illuminates the Holy Scriptures as we read them and gives us knowledge of God and his ways. Signs of this gift are a new insight into the Scriptures, increased depth in prayer, and a renewed appreciation of the sacraments.

Counsel (Right Judgment) – the ability to receive and/or give good advice. It empowers us to make decisions in the Spirit in practical life situations and allows for maturity as we grow in our Christian walk. Sometimes it takes place in the sacrament of Reconciliation. The Holy Spirit helps us discern good from evil, right from wrong. We grow in this gift by humbling ourselves to seek help from others when faced with a difficult situation.

Fortitude (Courage / Strength / Zeal) – enables us to face with strength the trials and dangers we encounter in our Christian life. It empowers us to choose consistently the right way to live in spite of disappointments and difficulties. We can grow in courage by resisting the temptations of the world: money, power, self-centeredness, and self-righteousness. It is often seen as the root of the charism of evangelism.

Knowledge – is having a deep trust and sureness about the Lord and knowing the truths of Christian revelation. This gift of the Holy Spirit produces in us a deep trust and sureness about the Lord. We grow in the gift of knowledge through the daily study of the scriptures and the teachings of the Church.

Piety (Love) – called in Romans 8:15 the "spirit of adoption" produces in us a loving and worshipful consciousness of God as our Father. Piety leads us to a true image of our Father as merciful, faithful, abounding in steadfast love, slow to anger – but also firm and just. It also helps us to see God’s holiness reflected in other people and to love them. We grow in piety through the practice of justice, attitudes of cooperation with authority, truthfulness, friendliness, and humility.

Fear of the Lord – an attitude of reverence and awe in the presence of God. It is not to be confused with the emotion of fear. However, fear of offending God is a manifestation of our reverence and respect for WHO GOD IS. This gift enables us to reverence all life as a reflection of God’s life. We grow in reverence by praying to God often, by being thankful for God’s gifts, and by respecting God’s name. Fear of the Lord is the spiritual door to the full Christian life, a great aid in overcoming sin in our lives. (See Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 9:10; Psalm 34:12-15)

Brothers and sisters, we are in this world together to make a better place for both you and me.  Let us do this exact thing we are supposed to do by working together to promote a better world and a better you.  We must do this not for political gain, but for religious gain.  Work with the fervor of being called by God for a Divine Mission, because this is exactly what you have been called to do.  Wait no longer.  Stand still no longer, you are now able to understand what held you back in the past and you can throw those chains down forever.  You are living proof that you were created by God for a purpose, now it is your responsibility to act accordingly.  Throwdown the things that tie you down, make you weary and keep you anchored in this world.  This world is finite.  Your future is infinite. May God bless you always in everything that you do for Him.