Let’s talk about a few gifts God gives us to live our lives to the fullest. God has many gifts for us; to know them all, you’ll need to study your Bible. But here, we’ll look at a few.

Faith is a special gift that helps us live a good Christian life. Through the gift of faith, we have peace, knowing that our God is in control, even in this troublesome world.

Generosity comes from a God who is most generous. Throughout the Bible, there are stories of God giving his people exactly what they need. He protected Noah and his family because they were faithful. He fed the Israelites in the desert. And He shares Himself with us because He loves us. When we help others, we are sharing God’s gift of Generosity. Leadership is another gift of the Spirit. A prime example of this gift is Moses. To his peers, Moses did not appear to be a leader, but with the help of God, he accomplished God’s purpose and led his children out of Egypt. Service is another tool from the Spirit that helps us bring Jesus to a broken world. It identifies the needs of others and finds resources to meet those needs. Servanthood is the opposite of what the world considers greatness. It is volunteerism without recognition. To a servant, a “thank you” becomes an added blessing, not an expectation.

Faith, Generosity, Leadership, Service. We, as Christians, can undoubtedly use these gifts to fulfill God’s plan for us in this world.

About the author: Previously the priest at St. Francis of Assisi in Lake Placid for 21 years, Rev. Elizabeth L. Nelson is now the Priest at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in LaBelle.