God Uses Our Natural Gifts

Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”
—-Mark 1:17

As we continue to look at practical principles from God’s Word to help you discover your true calling in life, we see that God uses your natural gifts for His supernatural purposes.

In Mark 1:17, God said to Peter and to Andrew, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” Did you know that, outside of His call to the original twelve disciples, in no place else in the New Testament does Jesus call you and me to be fishers of men? You and I have not been called to be fishers of men. Now, don’t misunderstand: God has called us to help rescue people by introducing them to the gospel, but He doesn’t use the term “fishers of men” with us. But He did use that phrase for people who were fishermen.

I remember very well when God called me to be a pastor. I was 15 years old. God didn’t shout down from heaven, “Robert Jeffress, I want you to be a fisher of men.” Had He said that I would have looked up and said, “Lord, don’t You remember the first time I went fishing, and the only thing I hooked that day was the guy seated behind me?” My friend was with me, and I hooked him right above the eye while I was casting. It would have made no sense for God to say to me, “Robert, you are going to be a fisher of men.” But God used the natural gifts and abilities He had given Peter, Andrew, James, and John for the supernatural purpose for which He had created them, and the same thing is true for you and me. God will use our natural gifts and interests for His supernatural purpose.

Ever since I was a child, I have been really interested in two things: broadcasting and finances. When I was nine years old my parents would take me to the library to do research and to work on my homework. But instead of doing my homework, I would go to the periodical section and pull down back issues of “Broadcasting” magazine. I would read them from cover to cover. Then I would go and pull down issues of “Fortune” magazine and read those. I had an insatiable interest in radio, television, and finance. You say, “That is really strange.” It is strange for a pastor to be interested in those things, isn’t it? Not if God’s plan is for you to become the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dallas. I would hate to think of trying to be involved in a broadcast ministry of 800 radio stations and 11,000 cable systems and not know anything about radio and television. I would hate to have the responsibility of overseeing hundreds of millions of dollars in a church budget and have no knowledge of finance. You see, that interest God placed in my heart was part of His calling for my life, and the same is true for you.

Your interest in leadership or speaking or medicine or the arts or working with children–those interests and gifts are not a hindrance to God’s calling for your life; they are a part of God’s unique calling for you. God uses our natural gifts and interests for His supernatural purposes.

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Today’s devotion is excerpted from “A Fish Tale” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2016.

Scripture quotations are taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

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