Something from the Spirit can be seen in each person, for the common good. (1 Corinthians 12:7)Paul reminds us that everyone has a gift.
Here's the thing: the gifts of the Spirit are not for us. In other words, your gifts aren't for your benefit; they're for me, and my spiritual gifts are not for my gratification; they're for you. To really be fulfilled, I must share my gift with the church.
There are lots of people who can preach better than me. There are lots of people who can sing better. There are lots of people who can write better music. There are those who are more discerning, more merciful, and more faith-filled, but when God put my spiritual gift mix together, he made me just the way he wants me, and I'm the best me there is in the whole world.
But even in being the best me in the whole world, I'm still falling short, because no matter how good a me I am, I'm not you. We were not meant to work in isolation, but in community. No one has every gift; not everyone has the same gift; but everyone has a gift. It is in joining our gifts together, uniting for a common purpose, that we function as the church God intended.
As we approach Christmas 2008, what's your gift to the Body?
No comments:
Post a Comment