In my last blog post, I talked about the talents we have been gifted by God. I wrote about glorifying God through the use of his gifts.

But there is another side to this coin.

You can also put God to shame by not using His gifts for the right purpose or using them improperly.

I’m going to tell you the story of one of my neighbors. There has been some doubt about her sobriety, and maybe that’s why I have a story to tell.

I live on a canal. It’s pretty wide, but I still have a great view (and vice versa — they have of mine) of the backyard and backdoors of my neighbors across the water. This is Florida and we’re on the water, so most of us spend a fair amount of time in our backyards. 

Because I enjoy my neighbors and neighborhood, I’ve gotten to know and become friends with most of my nearby neighbors, to the point of spending a significant amount of time socializing with them. The very thing that drew us to living on the water draws us together in having similar interests.

I think my odd neighbor didn’t purchase her house. She inherited it. This may explain a lot. I don’t know. I’m just guessing.

But she rarely spends time outdoors, and when she does— well, let’s say she probably shouldn’t. She has taken it on herself to feud with her neighbors on each side. I don’t know how she gets on with other people, but I know for sure the neighbors on each side of her do not get along with her. I don’t have many details, but I do see where one neighbor boarded up the windows on “her” side of their house. And the other didn’t much like it when the odd woman sent her husband over to complain that their fishing line had blown onto “her” side of the water (And in case you didn’t know, you can’t own the water, just saying).

Apparently, she has a gift for knowing what would most bother people. But she has used this gift to deliberately bother people, rather than making their lives easier. And I will admit, not only the person she targeted (but I, too,) was bothered when she mooned him. From the end of her dock. And then she mooned him again. I hope she wasn’t sober.

But my only response was and is, “Please, do not misuse your gifts.”

Can you imagine how much more wonderful my neighborhood would be if she used her gifts as God intended? For making people feel better and more enriched?

This question pertains to me, too. I always need to keep in mind that my gifts will enrich others if I use them as God intended and I pray that I will know when I’m about to step over the line.

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I recently published a book: Holy Spirit: The Still Small Voice. The digital eBook is currently FREE on most retailer websites. Click here to snag it!

“Holy Spirit by Kathy Carmichael is both inspirational and thought-provoking. It’s a clear-eyed layman’s look at the power behind the whisper we often call intuition. The personal stories add authenticity and provide anecdotal evidence to back up Kathy’s own conclusions. A lovely read.” ~ Peggy Webb, USA Today bestselling author