Unwrapping Your Spiritual Gifts
12: 4-26
ADONAI gives every believer spiritual gifts to be used in ministry (Romans 12:4-8; First Corinthians 12:8-31a; Ephesians 4:8-15; and First Peter 4:10-11). These are special God-empowered abilities for serving Him that are given only to believers. The Bible says: Whoever does not have the Spirit cannot receive the gifts that come from God’s Spirit (2:14 TEV).
You can’t earn your spiritual gifts or deserve them – that’s why they are called gifts! They are an expression of God’s grace to you. Messiah has generously divided out his gift to us (Ephesians 4:7 CEV). Neither do you get to choose which gifts you’d like to have; the Ruach Ha’Kodesh determines that. Paul explained: It is the one and only Holy Spirit who distributes these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have (12:11). Most people have one dominant spiritual gift and a lesser, or secondary spiritual gift. Because God loves variety and He wants us to be special, no single gift is given to everyone (12:29-30). Also, no individual receives all the gifts. If you had them all, you’d have no need for anyone else, and that would defeat one of God’s purposes – to teach us to love and depend on each other.
Your spiritual gifts were not given for your own benefit, but the benefit of others, just as other people were given gifts for your benefit. The Bible says: A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the church (12:7 NLT). God planned it this way so we would need each other. When we use our gifts together, we all benefit. If others don’t use their gifts, you get cheated, and if you don’t use your gift, they get cheated. This is why we’re commanded to discover and develop our spiritual gifts. Have you taken the time to discover your spiritual gifts? An unopened gift is worthless!
Whenever we forget these basic truths about gifts, it always causes trouble in the congregation. Two common problems are “gift-envy” and “gift-projection.” The first occurs when we compare our gifts with others’, feel dissatisfied with what God gave us, and become resentful or jealous of how God uses others. The second problem happens when we expect everyone else to have our gifts, do what we are called to do, and feel as passionate about it as we do. The Bible says: There are different kinds of service in the Church, but it is the same Lord we are serving (12:5 NLT).353
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