The most important person of that three-some is the Holy Spirit. The most incredible realization is that You have been given specific gift(s) by the Holy Spirit. And the most blessed person is You. What a fantastic learning. The How you receive your gift is always personalized. The how should never be compared but extolled and delighted in. Sharing stories of discoveries is also heart warming. To think that ‘little ole me’ is given a gift is almost too wonderful to get your head around but it is fact. Never forget that we don’t ‘earn’ gifts, nor can we purchase them. The Holy Spirit distributes them (I would like to believe that He does so based on the need and our personality and abilities.).
There is also a purpose in all this. None of us can be all things to all which is one of the reasons that we need one another as brothers and sisters in the Lord. But He has also blessed us by choosing to work through us to touch lives, to bring many into the kingdom. Some of us will plant the seed… others will water… and still others will harvest. ‘More hands make lighter work.’ One of the other things I’ve been amazed about is that no one gift dominates, we all are parts and critical parts so that the body grows and is effective through partnering with the Lord to accomplish His goals.
Scriptural? Oh yes. And I can cite many verses to substantiate which I’ve just said. 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 2, Romans 12, 1 Peter 4 – are foundational but there are other verses that confirm. Read and see what the Lord has done and given to us! Please, don’t be like the one servant who hid his talent (Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 19:12-28).
What should our attitude and behavior be when it comes to expressing our gift?
First: recognize the source of the gift,
Second: recognize the dispenser of gifts, the person of the Holy Spirit
Third: the gift really isn’t ours, we are the steward of the gift because the gift is given for the growth of the body so that we all are involved in ministry
Fourth: there are others who have the same gift as we do… but only you can express the gift in your special way and share this with others. NEVER compare yourself – all are needed and wanted and honestly – The Holy Spirit knows what He’s doing.
Let me give a simple example of why you are important and needed/wanted. Have you ever broken a bone and had to be in a cast? Or maybe some other health issue. When the part that you typically would have relied on isn’t available because of the injury… what do you do? Obviously you make adjustments but the point is, until that part is healed you are limited. Now apply that thinking to the Body of Christ. If you, for whatever reason, are not sharing your gift, the body is forced to adjust rather than functioning as a whole. Saying that someone else has the same gift doesn’t work because they are expressing their gift where they are. Would you like to be the one that has to do double duty?
Those 4 points that I listed are only some of the reasons we need to have our attitudes in alignment with the Word so that our behavior is expressed as it needs to be. We are never alone in this… we have the partnership with the Triune God and the partnership with fellow believers who are expressing their gift for the benefit of the body. This truly is a wonderful fact because we are in part of an incredible team – in one accord and touching lives. Now that’s something to celebrate!
