Owning Your Gifts – Part One

(In September 2020, this blog was blessed to have a series of blogs written by Shirley R. Evans on Freedom and the Godly Woman. In the light of the positive and encouraging responses to that, Shirley has agreed to share a brief series on the subject of gifts in the Body of Christ – knowing them and putting them into action. I hope you’ll be encouraged, challenged and stimulated by this series of blogs. Part one today sets out a biblical basis … For His Name’s Sake, Shalom, C. L. J. Dryden.)

In his grace, God has given us different gifts, for doing certain things well.  So, if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out, with as much faith as God has given you.  If your gift is serving others, serve them well.  If you are a teacher, teach well.  If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging.  If it is giving, give 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 12:6-8

Throughout Christendom there is a difference of opinion on definitions and operation of gifts. There are debates on whether all the gifts are still functioning today or whether some gifts were relevant only during the so called “apostolic era,” which is another area of much debate but that is a subject for another time. Some use spiritual inventories for discovering gifts and others say that this is the wrong approach.

I believe that this ongoing debate has impacted on our abilities to recognise, own and walk in our gifting.   My intention is not to enter the various debates mentioned. I will leave that to others.

God calls sinners to Himself, as we repent of our sins, through faith in Christ, He declares that we are saints and seals us with the Holy Spirit. Part of the Spirit’s work is to equip us with gifts. Whatever gifts we have are just that – gifts, given to us by our Heavenly Father to serve others. I like the adjectives used in the verse above to describe the way we ought to use our gifts – well, encouraging, generously, seriously, gladly, to this we can add humbly, graciously and faithfully. 

This is how the gifts function at full capacity so that the gospel is magnified, the body of believers edified and developed and most importantly God is glorified.

The scripture quoted lists some of the gifts: Prophecy, Serving, Teaching, Encouraging, Giving, Leadership, Kindness.  This list is not exhaustive as other gifts are listed elsewhere in Scripture. Suffice to say, gifts are varied and diverse.  Truly our God intended that His Body, the Church, would be fully equipped to meet every need. So, a body of believers that is spiritually healthy must, by definition, be one where all the believers recognise and utilise their gifts well. This body of believers has all the gifts that are required to meet the needs of kingdom-building in that locality are present and functioning.

God’s plan for the Building of the Kingdom is really quite masterful.  He uses ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things.  He uses you and He uses me.  He deposits within us His awesome power – each of us uniquely coded to carry out our own special work.

Ephesians 2:10 puts it this way. For we are God’s masterpiece.  He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. So, before the foundation of the world God had a plan for each one of us to carry out good works, and each of us contributes to the masterpiece!

Wow, just think about that. I am a masterpiece, uniquely created by the ultimate master designer to carry out a job that only I can do. And so are you!

If you are building a house and your skilled trades people are unavailable for example the electrician or the plumber to do his/ her job at the crucial stage of the building then the house will remain incomplete. Worse still, you could get someone who is not skilled in that area doing a job which will not meet building regulation or pass inspection and will hinder the work. Each of us is a necessary part of this building project – without my input or your input the work is hindered.

For the time being here are some key points to bear in mind

• Gifts are a crucial part of God’s master plan
• Every believer is a unique masterpiece contributing to God’s workmanship – the Church
• Every believer is equipped with gift/gifts
• Our responsibility as believers is to own and use our gifts well
• Where gifts are not evidenced or not being used the Body is not healthy

(Photo by Kira auf der Heide on Unsplash)

Blessings,

Shirley R. Evans of Eden Cumi Ministries