The Gift of Knowledge
The youth Sunday school class that I teach was learning about the prophets, about them bringing justice, mercy, and peace to God’s people. In the same way, a person with the gift of knowledge is similar. “An individual with this gift should always be thirsty for the words of their Christian faith. To completely embrace this gift, a person must be willing to speak the truth and stand up for what is righteous no matter how difficult it may be. Furthermore, this individual should also be knowledgeable about Christianity and the power it brings to the people.” This definition shows a person with the gift of knowledge as being someone who not only has the knowledge but puts it into action.
These days, there is a lot someone with the gift of knowledge can do. With all the misinformation about just about anything, the person with this gift could speak justice with kindness. It helps no one to make them feel small by offering to bestow all the wisdom you have on them regardless of the feelings of the ones they are trying to convince. As Jesus found, to impart the knowledge of God, you need to have a relationship so the person can hear that truth. And yet, he did not fail to speak God’s truth with the force of justice, the grace of mercy and the peace found in his relationship with God.
For those of us who do not have the spiritual gift of knowledge, we are still called to exercise this gift with the possibility of gaining skills in this area. So here are four ideas to ease into welcoming others while using some of your God-given spiritual gifts:
1. Let the Games Begin
Plan a virtual get-together with friends who may or may not have similar beliefs as you do. Plan by making slips of paper with justice, mercy, and peace topics on them that you can draw from a hat. Allow each person to draw a topic and go to town debating the issue. You will want to set some debate rules (2 minutes talk limit, no talking during someone else’s turn, etc.) You might be on the same side of the issue and that’s great. This time may help you solidify your beliefs, or it may just change your mind. Be open to all. And stop when it is not fun.
2. If It’s Free You’re There
Scour the internet to find free webinars or virtual conversations in your area and beyond to join. Look especially for those that center on justice and relational issues. There are many virtual conversations being had about what we do in a post-pandemic world and the impacts this time will have on us all. If you can’t find anything free, you may want to splurge and pay for one. You may also want to see if your church will host an event to bring a speaker in. There are many groups that do this for free and would love a chance to speak to people about their work.
3. Dig Micah 6:8
I have a friend whose email address is dig micah6:8: “God has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” Make this your mantra for this month. When you wake up each day, set your mind to finding ways to act justly, mercifully, and humbly while walking with God to promote peace in this world. At the end of the day before turning out the light, reflect on these three things and how you have done this, what opportunities you missed and how you can change things to fulfill this requirement of God.
4. Become Known for It
There are many groups who work for justice in different ways. We have friends who run to raise money for St. Jude so children with serious illnesses can be treated without having to worry about where the money is going to come from to make that happen. There may be groups in your area who work for justice. Join a justice group and become known for being a supporter of this group: help with fundraisers, be of service, or help teach a skill that is needed. Being a person who is known for actively seeking justice is also a person with faith.