A Proper Setting - The WorkPlace

by Charles Ligon

Diamonds are meant to be beautiful. When set properly, they can be especially stunning and very attractive to the eye. However, in an inappropriate setting (e.g. in a drawer, pocket or locked away in a box), the beauty, attraction and magnificence may go unnoticed or worse, be lost altogether.    

The same can be said of spiritual gifts!  You see, God has graciously granted spiritual gifts to every believer. When used in the proper setting or situation, these gifts are quite beautiful.  The Bible says that, in His grace, God has given us different spiritual gifts for doing certain things well. If prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And, if you have the gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly (Romans 12:6-8 NLT). So…what is the proper setting for using our spiritual gifts? The answer: from an abundance of agape love!  You see, our spiritual gifts must be administered or applied with selfless, sacrificial and charitable love toward others. Apart from this setting, our gifts will lack the brilliance, magnificence and beauty of our Lord. First Corinthians 13 (known as the Love Chapter) speaks very concisely about this…we can exercise great spiritual gifts and achieve marvelous things, but if we are not motivated by love, we are nothing! Thus, as workplace believers, we are called to use our gifts to serve others out of a genuine, authentic, selfless love. We serve others because Christ served us. We love others because Christ loved us. We forgive others because Christ forgave us. This is agape love…the highest form of love.

How has God gifted you? Are you using your gifts in your workplace in such a way as to reflect His beauty, magnificence and glory? Are your actions motivated from the context of agape love? Or, is your gift locked away, tucked safely in your “drawer of life”? If so, remove it and apply it in a setting of agape love that others will see God through you and experience firsthand His love and His mercy.

Your workplace challenge is to first identify your spiritual gift(s). If necessary, take a spiritual gifts inventory through your local church. Next, consider how you might use your gift more often in your specific place of work (encourage more, serve more, give more, etc.). With agape love, let God’s beauty and brilliance shine forth through you so that others will be drawn to Him. Make today count for His Glory.