Believers discover their gifts as they travel down the road
of life. One such gift is helping
others. But its purpose isn’t only to
enrich people - the poor and well-to-do alike, but to enlighten them. To accomplish these blessings it’s necessary
to have an active spiritual life. A
French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher Voltaire (1694–1778) wrote, “God gave
us the gift of life; it is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living
well.” Here’s a focus on some of our
wonderful gifts e.g., Nature, Knowledge, Peace, and the Holy Spirit.
Nature
A liberal politician, philanthropist and scientist John
Lubbock (1834–1913)
said, “Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountains and the
sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than we can ever
learn from books.” With ecologically
consciousness minds there’s much talk and action about caring as God’s stewards
of nature. Each day people should care
for the trees, rivers, lakes, mountains and valleys. They ought to experience the surge in the
life of birds, fishes, and the abundance of wildlife in our parks, forests, and
jungles. Unlike information in books
Lubbock saw nature as teaching many things.
It provides us with joy, comfort, food, clothing, and medicine.
Knowledge
A Classical Greek philosopher Socrates (470/469 BC–399 BC) wrote, “To know,
is to know that you know nothing. That
is the meaning of true knowledge.”
Socrates was referring to our senses that are deceptive. Even with science in empirical studies there
are often unintentional observational errors.
Most people do experience the throes of life with hardships,
difficulties, and illnesses that teach them lessons. As they endeavor to decipher life’s questions
their thought-processes are at times polluted by their undeveloped senses. In some studies they are left wondering what
has happened to the knowledge they once thought was true. With such changes they might conclude like
the preeminent English poet and playwright William Shakespeare (1564–1616): “Ignorance is the
curse of God; knowledge the wing wherewith we fly to heaven.” True knowledge could only be found through
the workings of the Holy Spirit.
Peace
An Indian politician and attorney Mahatma Gandhi (1869–1948) said, “An eye for
an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.” That’s why forgiving our fellowmen and women
are important. That’s why with life’s
possibilities as channels of peace people continue doing missionary work. It’s a good thing to practice purity, and
view it as a goal to perpetuate. As the
German born physicist Albert Einstein (1879–1955) wrote, “Peace cannot be kept by force; it can
only be achieved by understanding.” In order to find common ground problems
arising between nations have to be candidly discussed in order to find lasting
solutions.
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is a free gift from God. He’s the greatest outpouring any believer can
have. Undoubtedly he’s a life-giving
force and the light of life. By him believers
enjoy a supreme quality of life - one that’s enlightening, new, and full of
everlasting love. His presence is
sustained by a lifestyle of caring, and compassion toward others. By living piously believers partake of the
abiding truth of the Spirit. A senior pastor of the First Baptist Church
Charles Stanley (b. 1932) said, “Earthly wisdom is doing what comes
naturally. Godly wisdom is doing what
the Holy Spirit compels us to do.”