Uhh, what gifts?

You may say: “What gifts do I have exactly?” In baptism, God made you a temple of the Holy Spirit where he himself could dwell. He deepens this grace in the sacrament of confirmation, pouring into your soul the gifts of wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord. These aren’t superpowers we are zapped with, nor do they suddenly make everything easy. Instead, they make us capable of responding to God’s promptings and acting according to his wisdom, even when his wisdom calls us to love in seemingly heroic ways. God has given us the gifts we need to walk with those around us in simple and sometimes big ways.

Lean on me

With these gifts we also have to remember that we are not relying on our own abilities. In fact, we must rely less on ourselves and more on God, who inspires us to act and who gives us the strength to respond to his inspirations. With this awareness, we can begin to use our gifts in small ways that bring peace to our relationships, our work and our studies. We don’t have to muster up or try hard enough to have these gifts; we receive them in relationship with God and practice using them as God intends.

Listen first

Fundamentally, all of this rests on the fact that we are called to listen to and be with the Lord. Scripture tells us that miracles and signs are actually not as important as listening to Christ and following his Word. Our gifts are fundamentally reliant on the friendship we have cultivated with God through our prayer.

Quiet, powerful change

When we talk to God daily, when we listen to his Word and when we act when called, we change the world. I don’t mean we change the world in some cheesy, cliché way, but I do mean that we actually change the world by how we treat and love others. Relying on God’s gift of counsel with our friends can actually change our friends’ lives. Relying on God’s gift of fortitude (strength) literally helps us to endure anxiety, suffering and pain on a daily basis. God’s gifts and power aren’t just some pixie dust sprinkled over us, but are how we share in God’s plan for each and every person to know God intimately through his Son, Jesus Christ. To use these gifts of the Holy Spirit, we simply have to say “yes” today to the Lord’s invitation to begin to transform our lives and the world around us.