May 6, 2020

Weekly Reflections – Intentional Families X

Weekly Reflections – Intentional Families X

INTENTIONAL FAMILIES: Acknowledge and Share our Gifts and Talents

This is the tenth weekly reflection, and the final blog in a series on “Forming Intentional Families.” The producers of this program wisely wrote, “Intentional means that we do more than just react to life. Instead, we must create a vision, make purposeful choices, and then decisively take action to make our families all that God desires them to be.” Can you choose to be intentional when it comes to your family?

To know our selves seems to be so very important.  This week’s tenet, “Acknowledge and Share our Gifts and Talents” begins with the journey to self-understanding.  What are my gifts?  How am I talented?  Once we have discovered these, we will be in a position to use them for God’s purposes.  May you have a great week of self-discovery!  And may you use your (perhaps newly discovered) gifts and talents in the pursuit of enjoying an intentional family.

Chaplain Allen
chaplain@nationsu.edu
chaplainscorner.org

TENET 10: Acknowledge and Share our Gifts and Talents

  1. We are all called to be good stewards of our talents, time and treasure, all of which are gifts from God.
  2. Each of us has been entrusted with unique, God-given talents and spiritual gifts.
  3. Prayerfully discern what these charisms (divinely conferred gifts)are and how we can use them for the Kingdom of God.
  4. Whether extraordinary or simple and humble, charisms are graces of the Holy Spirit which directly or indirectly benefit the body of Christ, ordered as they are to the building up, to the good of men, and to the needs of the world.
  5. “As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” (I Peter 4:10)
  6. Recognize that all is gift. To not share our time, talent and treasure would be like burying our gifts in the ground. (See Matthew 25:14-30)
  7. Parents should be role models of cheerful giving.

 

For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them:
Romans 12:4-6

The Ten Tenets of the “Forming Intentional Families” program.

1. Set family priorities.
2. Share family meals.
3. Lead family prayer and teach the faith.
4. Manage/limit media intake.
5. Control pace of life.
6. Forgive easily and often/ask for forgiveness.
7. Encourage active listening/open and honest communication.
8. Schedule family fun and play time.
9. Teach/model responsibility and accountability.
10. Acknowledge and share our gifts and talents.

Source: This program was developed over several years by the St. Laurence Pastoral Council (distributed April 2019) in Sugar Land, Texas.

Note: The opinions expressed in this Reflection are intended to be those of the author alone based on his understanding of the Bible and how God works with his people.

 

Read more reflections, Forming Intentional Families IX: Model Responsibility and Accountability