So Many Hats!!!

The prompt today was "Dr Seuss Hat".... I wanted to be original and find Dr. Seuss wearing a "normal" hat... but I couldn't. I might not have searched hard enough though. Anyway this quest of drawing the hat made me think of the fact that we wear many hats. I know you know what I mean but I will attempt to discuss this from my point of view today. (the drawing is at the end)

I have the hats of a daughter, a sister, a mother, a mother-in-law, a teacher, a retired person, the list could go on.... I do not feel that I excel in any of those (don't yell at me I know, I know, stop being hard on yourself). Does God want us to wear so many hats? Are we supposed to retire some hats as time goes on or at least make sure that one of them is more predominate than the others.

Romans 12 speaks to the hats we wear as Christians.

Romans 12:3-8 "For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness."

 To me this is saying that we are given gifts, more than one, but God wants us to use the one that is needed in our local gathering. At times this may change depending on where we are or how the gathering changes. In my mind where I am at this moment determines the gift that I use. For example, I might be at a friend's house who has just received some bad news. I should in that instance be a comfort to them in some way, probably using a ministering gift. If I am a mom at home with my children, the needs of the children determine the gift that I use whether teaching, exhortation, or mercy.

I think God gives us our gifts to help build and grow His family. I think he gives us many hats to wear so that we can be ready to serve in season and out of season...

2 Timothy 4:2 "Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching."

 So, I think, no matter where or what we are doing, we are to choose one of our hats (gifts) God has given use to be predominate at that time. We should always use what God has given us to help grow His family and lift up the fellow members in love and exhortation.

Thanks for reading this. It is my prayer that you look into the word for yourself and see how God speaks to you. God bless you :)