23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! ~ Psalms 139:23-24
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same LORD; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as He wills. ~ 1 Corinthians 12:4-11
David was the prophesied king who was a man after God’s own heart. A man who was to lead Israel in the ways of righteousness, but he fell over and over again. He looked out at Israel and sinned by numbering them. He didn’t go to war with his men, as their king and leader, and ended up not only impregnating one of his men’s wives, but having that same man carry his own death note. David had a gift of leadership. A gift of worship. A gift of knowing how to come in and how to go out, but the enemy tried to corrupt that. He tried to take that away from him.
See, each of us is given a gift from God. A gift that will propel you into your God-given call. Because of that, your gift can often be the inspiration for Satan’s attacks. Here’s what I mean. I know someone who has a gift of encouragement, but every now and then, words just fall out of their mouth that tear others down. I know another who can see the spiritual battle we’re in with their own eyes but struggled so badly with fear that they didn’t sleep at night well into adulthood. See, if the enemy can keep you from using your gift, then He can keep you from fulfilling your God-given call.
So, what do we do? Identify, then guard. First, identify your gift, then guard it with all your heart. See, your enemy knows you better than you even know yourself. He will try to corrupt, distort, and stop all of the good the LORD has in store for you to do by attacking who you are. Your gifts help make up who you are. Who you are in Christ and who you are to the world. Your testimony is precious; it’s a weapon to fight darkness. Don’t ever allow the enemy to take it away from you.
11 And they have conquered [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.
Revelation 12:11
Peace. Love. Go Forth and Identify Then Guard.