Gifts of Service

Rom 12:4-8 “Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so 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. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach;  if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.”

God was not done with creativity when He was finished with Creation. He does not have writer’s block; His creativity does not go into a slump. There are now over 6 billion people living on this planet and they are each unique and distinct.

During the first 5 days of Creation He concluded each day but surveying His creation and declaring with satisfaction “It is good”. On the sixth day, after He created man he concluded that His work was not done and He said “It is not good… for man to be alone”. He then proceeded to make woman out of man and in doing so set forth in motion the dictate that we are to be interdependent with each other. No man is an island.  There is no such thing as a self made man. Each and every one of us needs assistance somewhere along the way.  We are supposed to help each other.

When it comes to the Body of Christ He takes it one step further. He knows that the temptation is for us to say that our relationship with God is a personal thing and so we are going to keep just between God and us. So, He sends His Son with the message that we are all a part of the Body of Christ and that for it to function properly as His representatives on earth we all need to work together. To drive the point home He has given each person unique attributes, gifts and skills that are meant to work in concert. First, through the empowering of the Holy Spirit and second by working with each other. We complement each other. Where we are weak, others are strong and vice versa. It is like a giant automatic transmission where each cog is needed in order to transfer power from the engine to the wheels.

Now, before we continue I want to make something clear.  These verses contain one of several lists of spiritual gifts that are found in Scripture.  These lists are not meant to be normative or exhaustive.  In other words, just because a gift is not mentioned in one of these lists it does not mean that it is not a gift. This list contains 7 gifts. 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; 28-30 and Ephesians 4:7-12 have lists that include different gifts. Some people limit gifts to a total of 11 separate gifts. These lists were meant as examples of the most common gifts in use at that time. They were not meant to limit the kinds and number of gifts that God in His creativity through the administration of the Holy Spirit could give. God does not limit Himself in that way.

It is also extra-Biblical to put these gifts into separate categories and by extension then say that some of these gifts are still in use today and others were only for the Apostle’s time to help the Church in its infancy.  According to the doctrine of cessationism held by some evangelicals, those gifts died out after the Canon of Scripture was complete.

It is almost as if God took His hands off Creation after the Scriptures were complete and said, “You have everything you need, make it happen and I will see you when Christ returns.”

I don’t know about you but the God that I serve is an immanent God, He is involved in the daily lives of His children.  He talks to us and empowers us through His Holy Spirit that we might fulfill the Great Commission given to us by His Son.

1 Cor 2:4-5 “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive word , but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.”

This is as true today as the day when the Holy Spirit spoke them prophetically through the Apostle Paul.  God didn’t say anywhere in His Word “Hey listen, some of this stuff is just for now. When the Apostle Paul writes his last letter go back to using words and logic because all the knowledge you need will be in the Bible.”  My God still heals, still speaks, and still backs up His Word with a demonstration of power through His Holy Spirit.

These verses along with the other passages I mentioned above are meant to tell us that whatever gift God gives us we are to:

1. Be thankful for the gift He has entrusted us with.  We have what we need. We have what we have His grace for. Don’t be envious of someone else’s gifts and don’t think that you are not mature enough or good enough to use one of His gifts.  God gives His gifts according to His pleasure. It has nothing to do with knowledge, maturity or being good enough.
2. Study the Scriptures and prayerfully learn how to use your gift. Find someone who has your gift and has been using it longer and have them mentor you.
3. Humbly use your gift in the service of His kingdom. Like any muscle it gets stronger through use. Exercise it regularly. Make yourself available for the Holy Spirit to work through you.

Remember that, with the exception of the gift of prayer tongues (which unless accompanied by interpretation is for the edification of your spirit; 1 Corinthians 14:4), all the gifts are meant for acts of service to others and for the strengthening of the church. All of these gifts are to be used in the service of the Great Commission.

We are not owners of these gifts; we are merely conduits of these gifts. The recipients then benefit from teaching, encouragement, generosity, Godly government and mercy.