It’s time for the first guest blog of 2021 here at My Race to Run! I’m excited to bring you this inspiring message from my very own teenage daughter, Laci. Laci has such a special heart for others, and I hope her perspective motivates you in this season!

“Using Your God-Given Gifts To Encourage Others” by Laci Wright

2020 was a hard year for all of us, and 2021 hasn’t been much of an improvement so far. In 2020, there were many changes – in our daily lives, in our routines, in how we did things. I learned during that hard year how to use my God-given gifts to encourage & benefit others. Everyone has a different talent; that is what makes us so unique.

In the Bible, there are many examples given of people using the gifts and talents God blessed them with to benefit others. In 1 Corinthians 12, the apostle Paul wrote about how God gave each of us unique spiritual gifts, and we can use them to help each other. It says:

“There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.” – 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 (NLT)

Isn’t this passage so good? I encourage you to read the whole chapter; it talks more about the different spiritual gifts, how God designed each of them, and how we are the body of Christ. I think 1 Corinthians 12 is really inspiring because it helps us understand that God made each of us unique, but we all matter.

I think God gave me the gift of encouraging and helping others through many different things: sewing, writing, music, making homemade gifts for people, and using God’s word to strengthen others.

Toward the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March, I sewed over 200 masks for friends, family, community, and beyond – all for free.

With my writing skills, I have encouraged others by writing a couple of guest blogs for my mom, and in the future I want to continue to grow in my encouraging through writing.

With my creative/crafty skills, I have made homemade gifts like scrunchies, embroidery, cards, and more for friends and family.

Something “big” and simple I did to cheer on my family in the month of December was using the Bible and sticky notes. Every day in December I wrote a Bible verse/quote on a sticky note for each person in my family. I put it right by their bed so they would wake up and see it.

You see, there are so many easy, creative ways that you can encourage the special people in your life.

Now, you might be wondering why I shared all these examples of ways I used my gifts to encourage others. The reason I shared these examples is to inspire you to do the same. Find your gifts from God, and use them to spur others on! You might discover that with a little intentionality, you are really good at encouraging others.

A way you can encourage the special people in your life as Valentine’s Day approaches is with something simple: sticky notes. Here is a short list of things you will need:

• Sticky Notes (these can be found everywhere, for usually $1… one pad is plenty for 1-3 people, depending on how long you want to do this for)
• Bible verses/Quotes (to put on the sticky notes)
• Some sort of writing utensils (markers, pens or pencils to write with)

This way to encourage people is that easy – you only need 3 things! And all you need to do is write out a verse/quote on a sticky note and put it where you know the person it is for will find it. You could make it anonymous, or let the person know it’s from you. This idea is only one; there are so many other ways you can strengthen others.

If you have another gift, get creative! Think of some ways you can use the gifts God has blessed you with to benefit others. Like I said earlier, we all have different gifts, from God – that is why we are all unique. But no matter what gift you were given by God, all gifts matter.

Later in 1 Corinthians 12, Paul writes about how we all matter in the body of Christ, and we are all needed.

“All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.” – 1 Corinthians 12:27 (NLT)

I love this verse, and I especially love how it says “together.” Together we represent Christ’s body. Without each other, we aren’t strong. This is why it is so important that we build up fellow Christians; we need each other so that we can thrive during hard times. Together, by encouraging each other using our God-given gifts, we can face this world and its hardships.

Today, I encourage you to take the time to check in on a fellow believer/friend; see how they are doing, and encourage them to keep moving forward.

Finally, I leave you with this verse to inspire you to encourage your family in Christ:

“Watch over each other to make sure no one misses the revelation of God’s grace. And make sure no one lives with a root of bitterness sprouting within them which will only cause trouble and poison the hearts of many.” – Hebrews 12:15 (TPT)

Encourage others!

❤️