We don’t all have the same function or gift and that’s good! The body works together as the individuals understand their functions and use their gifts together.
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: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith. -Romans 12:4-6
God, in his grace and mercy, gifts each of us with specific ways that we are called to contribute to the body.
These gifts differ (1 Corinthians 12:14-21) and that’s a good thing! God knew what he was doing when he put us in a body together. For us to be a Jesus-Centered Family on Mission here in Columbia, we have to understand that as Christians, all of us are gifted. All of us are called to serve. All of us have a role to play.
Three pushbacks people have:
- I don’t have any gifts. Your job is not to analyze your gifts and determine if God did a good job or not, but instead, put your gifts on the altar and offer them to serve in love for the building up of the body.
- I don’t have that gift. Not having a specific gift isn’t an excuse to disobediently refuse to grow in Christlikeness that all of us are called to walk in.
- I don’t need other people’s gifts. The truth is, we all need each other.
Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. - Romans 12:6-8
Three Categories of Spiritual Gifts:
- Gifts that serve with your words: prophecy, teaching, exhortation.
Words have power! For a refresher on this topic, listen to the sermon, “Wisdom and Words” from our “Proverbs” series. - Gifts that serve with your hands: serving, acts of mercy, leading
- Gifts that serve with your stuff: generosity
*Tune into the blog later this week for a post that breaks down each spiritual gift in more detail
Three Next Steps:
- Try something. Serve! All of us are called to have a posture of service. If you’re not serving somewhere, go to midtowndowntown.com/serve.
- Try everything while looking for the best fit. Don’t wait for your giftedness to be needed; Jump in and contribute. If you don’t know what your giftedness is, chances are, you won’t discover it until you start serving.
- Specialize. As you learn more and more of your gifts and strengths, try to shift more and more of your time in that direction. This is going to require saying, “no” to some opportunities.