Gifts

For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function,  so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.  Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith;  or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching;  he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.  - Romans 12:4-8

What a mess it would be if everyone in the body had exactly the same gifts or the same calling. We would get nothing done if everyone was the preacher or if we all played the piano or if we all took care of the books and finances or we all worked in the children’s ministry or creche or whatever.

Paul addresses some specific gifts. All of these are things that we should all be doing, but these are things that some of us are especially gifted at. Preaching and teachings and ministering and exhorting and giving and leading and be merciful are traits for us all to some extent.

I think the key lesson here though is that we need to be happy the use the gifts God gives us. I am teacher. I ought to be a teacher who can proclaim the gospel and minister to others and give and exhort and lead and be merciful. At the core of me though is a teacher. We need to realise that God uses all of us with our gifts. Paul builds this into a wonderful picture in 1 Corinthians where he describes us as a body and the importance of heads and hands and eyes.

Find the gift God has blessed us with and use it for His glory and the love each other.