Preaching, singing… these are not the only gifts the church needs. They aren’t even the most important gifts, necessarily. Sharing our talents is all about letting the Holy Spirit work within you to accomplish God’s will in the life of the body of Christ. It’s not about skill level. It’s not about flawless execution. It’s about surrendering yourself to be part of something that is precious to God.
God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out when you have faith that God is speaking through you. If your gift is that of serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, do a good job of teaching. If your gift is to encourage others, do it! If you have money, share it generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.
Romans 12:6-8Romans 12:6-8
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
6 . God has also given each of us different gifts to use. If we can prophesy, we should do it according to the amount of faith we have. 7 If we can serve others, we should serve. If we can teach, we should teach. 8 If we can encourage others, we should encourage them. If we can give, we should be generous. If we are leaders, we should do our best. If we are good to others, we should do it cheerfully.
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God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well. And with this list, God makes little distinction between gifts that are entirely supernatural and those that come from our genes, our upbringing, and our circumstances. Our personality, our social setting, our training, our passions – all of these can be used to benefit the people of God. Our whole makeup is unique, and God intends to work from the whole of who you are, not just one piece.
I, as many have, struggled with feelings of inadequacy when I was a youg believer. I still do at times. As we talked yesterday, there can be a feeling that someone else is more qualified. But God never makes it a point of comparison. He simply wants you to offer what you have. And we desperately need to challenge each other to make use of our gifts, our talents. If we don’t we can be sure something is missing.
But back to my first statement… We seem to get this idea that the useful gifts are the ones we see in “service”. Preaching. Singing. Dancing. Drama. Those without these leanings can see the modern church and think, where do I fit in? Do I have a role that is important? The thing to notice in Romans 12:6-8Romans 12:6-8
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
6 . God has also given each of us different gifts to use. If we can prophesy, we should do it according to the amount of faith we have.
7 If we can serve others, we should serve. If we can teach, we should teach.
8 If we can encourage others, we should encourage them. If we can give, we should be generous. If we are leaders, we should do our best. If we are good to others, we should do it cheerfully.
WP-Bible plugin is that the gifts in mind are not “up front” gifts; they are “in between” gifts. They are gifts and talents that plant, develop and protect community and the relationships within the body. A church can fill itself up on Sunday based on a short-list of people who can sing and shout the good news. I don’t mean to say it is all show, far from it; but it is not the whole picture. The life of the church is built on what happens throughout the week. Everyone has a role in the community of believers.
Prophecy, revealing God’s will and direction, is absolutely essential as the body accomplishes its mission of making new disciples, watching for the movement of the spirit inthe larger world. Serving others – helping them deal with a computer glich, cooking meals, watching kids so someone can make it to an appointment, helping them move – these are the things that close relationships are made of. Teaching is not restricted to Sunday morning or Sunday evening. We need the constant reminder from those with God-given talent, that we must ingest God’s word in order to fulfill the command to love God with our whole mind, soul and strength.
Encouragement, both uplifting and critical, helps keep us on the right course. We need the body surrounding us with advice, wisdom, thanks and appreciation. We need to be both givers and takers in this arena. Money – and anything we possess: if you have an ability to give, or to use money wisely, even cunningly, then use your gift! Fulfill God’s call and care for those who can’t meet the need. Resist the urge to fall back feeling “used”, instead looking at every opportunity to share as an opportunity to give to Christ himself.
Leadership is critical, and best played out when the leader recognizes the stewardship that God has given them. And kindness richly shows God’s love: caring for children, widows, those dealing with grief, humiliation and even death. It is about taking your past experiences and turning them into grace, forgiveness and hope for another individual. Where would the body be without those gifted with kindness?
In all of these is an expectation: that what God has given will be used. So what has God given you, and how are you using it? Are you a loner Christian, outside of active community? Or have you jumped in with both feet, accepting the call to use whatever you are for God’s glory and God’s people?
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