How to Leverage Your Life

Our vision at Ironbridge Students is to see each of you own your faith in Christ and leverage your lives for his cause.

To see this vision become reality, we must learn how to leverage our lives.

We know why we should leverage our lives: Jesus died for us, so we should live for him.

But that does not answer practical questions like:

How can I make a difference?

What am I good at?

What is my place in this community?

How can I contribute to the mission?

Tonight we will consider these questions as we unfold Paul’s letter to the church at Rome. Here are 5 steps you can take to leverage your life for Jesus’ mission...

1. Be humble.

3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

Tonight we will talk about your unique skills and passions. Before we do, Paul establishes a foundation that the whole building rests upon: humility.

If we are not humble, our gifts will not be tools for building. They will turn into trophies for boasting.

We need to remember, our spiritual talents are gifts of grace. Let me say those two words again: gift - grace.

Grace teaches us that we do not deserve this skill.

Gift means that we did not purchase this skill.

If you brag about a gift, you are like a child boasting at the lunch table because his lunch box was packed with better candy.

Here is a test to see if you are using your gift in pride or humility. Are you using your abilities to be seen or to serve? Is it for you or for others?

As we consider what makes you unique, be humble. Remember that you did not create yourself. Remember that your ability is a gift, not an accomplishment.

2. Embrace uniqueness.

4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function,

Thank goodness that we do not all have the same function!

Imagine that instead of having two hands and two feet. I had four feet, two being in place of my hands. Life would be much harder and a lot more awkward.

Instead of embracing what makes us unique, we often bicker about our differences. “Ugh, why doesn’t this person know how to be merciful to the needy. Why is he always writing, when will he help serve the coffee? Why are they so bad at logistics? Can’t they see the details?”

We are like hammers, fighting with sand paper because SP rubs people the wrong way. Meanwhile sand paper is bitter about how hammer always pushes for his own point.

I thank God for the differences of our team. Here is an example: all of your bridge group leaders have the same title, but they have different gifts.

Cuba is amazing at solving practical needs

Cassie is encouraging

Rita is gifted in mercy

If you were only being ministered to by one of us, you would be missing out, we would be burnt out, and everyone would lose.

You need others and others need you. (online church rant)

Let’s all submit ourselves to the master builder so we can watch him use each of our unique abilities to build something that could never be built if all the tools were the same.

3. Remember unity.

5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

We live in a time of great division. People think that differences are a reason to divide. Paul teaches us that our differences make us stronger when we work together.

We need those with a teaching gift to be Jesus’ mouth and speak his word.

We need those with the gift of mercy to be Jesus arms to wrap the broken in a hug of compassion.

We need those with the gift of service to be Jesus legs that bend down to meet the needs of the lowly.

When your brother or sister uses their gift, it strengthens you. Because you are a part of the body.

But when another refuses to use their gift, you also suffer, because you are a part of the body.

If I break my leg, I don’t chop it off and move on. No, my whole body is focused on healing my leg, without my leg, I will be greatly hindered.

We are independent and interdependent. We are unique and unified.

4. Learn your gift.

Step 4 is crucial. You will not be able to contribute to the community if you do not know what to contribute. You need to identify your gift. Don’t worry, this passage will help you.

The new testament lists approximately 17 different gifts. This passage does not include the full list, but it will describe a few. As you listen, consider which gift you may have.

6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

In the Old Testament there were three roles that pointed to the coming savior: Prophets, Priests, Kings. All of the new testament gifts can be put into these three categories.

Prophets: helped others understand the word of God. Gifts in this category would include teaching, interpretation, discernment, and prophecy.

Priests: used actions and words to bring healing to their community. Gifts in this category would include mercy, encouragement, healing, generosity, and service.

Kings: could see the direction the community needed to go and helped others get there. Gifts in this category would include leadership, administration, and faith.

Which of these categories do you fit into? To accurately discover an answer consider these three questions:

What do others see in me?

What am I good at?

What problem do I want to solve?

Learning your gifts is vital. But steps 1-4 are pointless unless we do step 5...

5. Leverage your gift.

There is a little phrase in this text that everything else hinges on… let us use them

Use your gift. If you don’t the body suffers.

Use your gift. If you don’t, you waste your life.

Use your gift. It will bring you greater happiness than sitting on the sidelines.

You do not need a title or a t-shirt to begin using your gift. Your gift is a lifestyle, not a position. Your gift doesn’t turn off when you step out of this building.

If your gift is mercy, weep with those who weep . Listen to the hurting.

If your gift is leadership, join the outreach team to help plan invite nights.

If your gift is teaching, start a bible study with your friends.

Nothing is stopping you from leveraging your life other than your own fear. How is God calling you to make a difference this week?