The Gift You've Been Given

Do you know what I love about you? I love the fact that you're so different to me. You have different motivations and abilities hardwired into your DNA. You've been through different experiences that've shaped who you are. Although, sadly, many people see their gifts, their abilities, as being quite insignificant compared to others. But that's a big mistake! During the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, Vasily Arkhipov was second-in-command on a Soviet submarine armed with nuclear weapons. Believing that war had already broken out, the crew prepared to launch. Two senior officers approved—but Soviet protocol required three. Arkhipov alone refused. He insisted on surfacing and awaiting orders. He wasn't the highest-ranking officer, nor a politician or scientist—just a composed naval officer with moral courage and the unlikely quality of calmness under pressure. His restraint, seen as weakness by some, saved the world from destruction. 1 Peter 4:10 God has shown you his grace in many different ways. So be good servants and use whatever gift he has given you in a way that will best serve each other. Let's say you're Vasily in that submarine. The pressure's on. Your captain is ordering you to comply. In that moment, how significant do you consider your natural quality of calmness to be? You get the point, yeah? You've been given natural gifts and abilities that those around you don't have. And the job God's given you is to use them, no matter how seemingly insignificant they may appear to you, in a way that best serves others. We need you. So please, pass on what you've been given. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.