Serving With Your Gifts
“You’re a member of Christ’s body, the Church. And every one of you is a vital part of it. Some of you might feel like you’re just a pinky toe – you don’t feel necessary. But you are. And whenever you’re not plugged in, the whole body suffers.” – Tony Walliser
Read Romans 12:3-8
Serving With Your Gifts
When you think of gifts, what comes to mind? That tie you received one Father’s Day you never wear? A shiny new set of golf clubs? A book by your favorite author, even a Bible? A gift card to Bass Pro Shops – or your favorite hardware store?
Gifts come in all shapes and sizes, and we could say that one person’s gift is another person’s garbage. But when it comes to gifts, no one outgives God. I’m not talking about the so-called “prosperity gospel” types of gifts: money, expensive cars, lavish lifestyles. No, I’m referring to the best gifts – the kind that will yield “fruit that remains,” as Jesus described in John 15:16.
These are literally spiritual gifts, bestowed by the Holy Spirit and given to each and every believer. What are these gifts? There are several listings of spiritual gifts in the Bible, including Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12:8-10,28, and Ephesians 4:11, although some theologians would contend there are others. What’s important is that every follower of Christ has at least one spiritual gift.
Someone might protest, “But I don’t think I have any spiritual gifts!” Well, according to the Scriptures, if you’re a believer you have at least one of them. We read in Romans 12:5-6 that, “in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.” And 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 tells us, “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord…. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good…He gives to each one, just as He determines.”
What if you don’t know what your spiritual gift is? One way to identify how God has gifted you is to take a spiritual gifts test. (Don’t worry – you don’t have to study for it or anything like that. And you can’t fail the test.)
There are other ways of identifying spiritual gifts. Answer questions like: What are you passionate about (other than your favorite sports team)? What are you good at doing? What are things you do that receive affirmation or encouragement from others?
Think of it this way: You don’t find thoroughbred horses giving rides at the county fair. No, that job is for ponies. But when the thoroughbreds are on the racetrack, you can almost sense their joy, right? That’s because they’re doing what they love – and what God intended for them to do.
In a similar way, the Lord has uniquely designed each of us to fit within the Body of Christ and to serve Him and others. When we’re called to use and exercise our spiritual gifts, it shouldn’t be burdensome or frustrating. Spiritual gifts enable us to live out what God has intended for us to be and to do.
Let me give you a personal example: When I hear of someone who needs some mechanical work done, I don’t feel badly if I don’t volunteer to help. Because I’m as mechanical as a turnip. My dad and grandfather were both great with their hands, but somehow the mechanical gene skipped right over me. So while I’m willing to assist in any way I can in a pinch, I clearly don’t have the gift of service (or helps).
However, if I hear of a man who wants or needs help in growing spiritually, I’m ready, willing – and I think, able. Partly because I remember my early days as a believer when I desperately needed a mentor or discipler to come alongside me. And when I was approached about helping to write these weekly men’s devotionals, I quickly said yes. Partly because I’ve spent my entire career as a writer and editor, but also because God has given me a passion for communicating His truth through the written word.
Spiritual gifts tests I’ve taken have indicated I have the gift of encouragement (also called exhortation). They’ve also identified the gift of prophecy, which is forth-telling the truth (not foretelling the future). Another said I have the gift of creative communication, which makes sense because of my love for both writing and photography.
But we’re all different, as the Scripture passages we’ve cited tell us. Some people have the gift of evangelism, others the gift of leadership or administration. Some have the gift of serving (service), or the gift of teaching, the gift of giving, or the gift of mercy.
Have you ever thought, “I’d love to be able to lead people to Christ like so-and-so,” or “I wish I could stand in front of people and teach them powerfully from the Scriptures?” At times I’ve thought that. It’s even occurred to me that during the Christmas season, churches should conduct a spiritual gift exchange!
The truth is, we’re all “fearfully and wonderfully made,” as Psalm 139:14 declares. And that includes the spiritual gifts God has entrusted to us. Rather than being envious of the spiritual gift someone else has, He wants us to use what He’s given exclusively to us, that we might bring glory to Him and serve others in ways that no one else can. And as we do, we can have the assurance that one day we’ll hear the Lord say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:21)