Teaching Her to Employ Her Spiritual Gift

	As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
	Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 4:10-11

If you are a parent of a child who belongs to Christ Jesus, you have a great responsibility to help them learn to employ their spiritual gift. 

You may be thinking,

 "WHAT?! I never thought about my child having a spiritual gift!"

Believe me dear reader, I understand! Please...read on.

My sweet little girl surrendered her life to the Lord on March 9, 2009.

She was 6 years old.

I'm embarrassed to say that it really wasn't until last night that the realization hit me ... I have a responsibility as her spiritual mentor to teach her how to employ her spiritual gift!

One look at the Scriptures makes it clear that this is exactly what a spiritual mentor does. Paul did so with Timothy - we need only to read his letters to him: 

1 & 2nd Timothy.

As I've been studying the book Understanding Spiritual Gifts these past many weeks (you can read the book study Momma Nan and I are doing here and here) , I've had the opportunity to talk with both my son and my husband about the gifts, but not yet with my daughter.

Maybe I mistakenly thought she was too young for the discussion?

At separate times I asked both Shane and Caedmon,  

"What do you believe Brennan's spiritual gift is?"

Without a second's hesitation, and independent of one another,  they each said, "Mercy."

I smiled because I'd been thinking the very same thing.

Mercy.

God knew that He needed to place her in this family, for she's already employing her gift to the edification of the body of Christ right here within our home!

Mercy.

She is the first to remind all of us to be compassionate toward others. 

She defers to grace, and when she doesn't it's pretty clear that she's not operating in the power of the Spirit, but in the power of the flesh.

Mercy.

She has a way about her with animals and people who are hurting that just astounds me! I do realize that her spiritual gift hasn't been given to her for animals, but the way that they are drawn to her sweet nature is just a glimpse into how people are drawn to her tenderness as well!

Brennan is only 8, yet a few weeks ago in church she put her sweet little hand in mine and let me know that she wanted to go to the altar and pray for her best friend's Pop-Pop who has been very ill in hospice, and truly on the verge of death.

It takes her quite a long time to warm up when she's in a room full of people, but compelled by the gift that has been given to her it didn't take a second for her to choose to walk in front of an entire church of 500 and kneel to pray!

So how do I as her mother teach her to employ this precious gift?

Truly, I'm still sorting through that.

I think it's time that I quit sorting and just follow her lead by falling on my face before the Lord in prayer, asking Him to show me how to train her up in this area.

I am confident of this though, in my prayers I need to ask Him to show us places where her gift is needed. 

Who in our body is in want of mercy? 

Who in our family is?

I also need to begin the discussion with her about how important her gifting is to those who belong to Jesus. I must show her in the Scriptures what He says about how and why He has given this great gift to her.

She has to be taught that the Word says she is to employ mercy.

She may only be 8 years old  but she has been sealed by the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption.

And even though she's only 8, it's because she belongs to Jesus Christ and has the Spirit of the living God indwelling her, that I know from the Word of God that she has been gifted for His body -  just as everyone has who has entered into God's covenant of grace through His Son, Jesus Christ and thus belongs to Him.

What a privilege  to help my daughter  learn how to employ His gift to her for His body - the church, and to His great glory!

Training her up in the way she should go in using her gift is just one more reason that I am thankful for the privilege of being home with her each day. 

God is so gracious to me!

Check back in tomorrow, as I'll be doing another giveaway. 

Here's a little hint...it's going be something from the student curriculum area of the new Precept Ministries E-Store and it will be a great resource in helping you to train up your own child in God's Word! :)


And...it's Homemaking Link-Up day at Raising Homemakers! 
Hop on over there...you'll be mightily blessed by the posts of many other women who are also passionate about raising their daughters in the will and ways of the Lord!

Much love to you in Him today,

Jes

Blue Letter Bible. "Peter's First Epistle - 1 Peter 4 - (NASB - New American Standard Bible)." Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2010. 20 Oct 2010. < http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=1Pe&c=4&t=NASB >