What are your gifts? Have you spent time to evaluate them? Do you know how to use your gifts? If not, are you willing to learn? Are you using them to further the kingdom of God?
We are all given gifts by God. More specifically, Jesus gives each of us one or more gifts. Some are easily identified, while others may require us to dig a little further to identify them. No one is completely gift-less. We are given these gifts to be used in our service to God.
If you are unsure what your gift or gifts are, there are spiritual gift surveys you can take that will identify them for you. I know, many of us are hesitant to take these surveys and don’t put much confidence in them. However, they do work. There is one thing we must remember about them—they may identify different gifts at different times throughout our lives. Why? We, as people, change over time. Our situation changes. Our experiences change. And God gifts us for these changing situations.
Our gifts are given to us to be used to further God’s kingdom. They are given to us to serve others. They are given to create unity within the body of Christ—the Church. They are given to help all of us reach maturity in our faith. We need each one of us to share our gifts to reach the fullness of Christ. It requires us to share our gifts and work together. No one person can do it all on their own.
As we look at today’s passage, we don’t see a complete list of spiritual gifts, we see a list of those given to equip the body for service. Notice that each gift listed is one that provides someone the ability and discernment to teach others or bring others into the body of Christ. They are not gifts to perform the service. Now, that doesn’t mean the person who is given the gift of teaching cannot serve others. In fact, many teachers do serve. The service gifts simply are not listed.
I pray we all identify our gifts. I pray we take time to evaluate our gifts. I pray each one of us commits to using our gifts for the building up of the body of Christ. Identify your gifts. Use your gifts to further the kingdom of God. Serve others. Teach others. Draw others into the body. Help all of us attain the fullness of Christ.
Ephesians 4:11-13 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Marty Pressey 