Thanks to Mary Kate and Abigail, we now have some idea of what spiritual gifts are and how to find them. Let's say that after months of soul searching, you believe that God has revealed your gift to you.
...Now what?
In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul speaks to the church in Corinth about their eagerness to speak in tongues and to have manifestations of the Spirit, and over and over he exhorts the Christians to "build up the church" using what they have been given. He makes it clear that it's fine if all the members can speak in tongues, but if they all speak at once just for the sake of it, there would be chaos in the church, and that would most definitely not be beneficial to the members.
We are each given gifts according the perfect wisdom of our Creator, and what better way to use it than to build up the body of Christ? It will both bring glory to God (one of the reasons why we were made) and bless the church.
Paul also makes it clear that there are many different gifts and many different ways to utilize them. After all...
"The body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”---1 Corinthians 12:14-21
Since there are so many different kinds of people all brought together by Christ in His church, there is bound to be some diversity. Keeping with the Biblical analogy of "the body," think for a moment about how many different basic parts make up your body: hand, foot, eye, ear, nose, mouth, tongue, heart, stomach, liver, etc. Consider how drastic the differences are between the roles that these parts play for your body. And these are the basics.
Suppose that we replaced the body parts with gifts, as if they were specific people. Using the list that Abigail provided in this post as a guide, allow me to reword this passage:
"For the body does not consist of one 'kind of person' but of many. If 'Administration' should say, "Because I am not good at 'Miracles', I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if 'Mercy' should say, "Because I am not 'Evangelism', I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were 'Leadership', where would be the 'Followers'? If the whole body was a 'Teacher', where would be the 'Listeners'? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member (or all alike), where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. 'Miracles' cannot say to 'Giving', " I have no need of you," nor again the 'Pastor-teacher' to 'Administration', "I have no need of you."
Do you see it? No one gift is really better than the others. Sure, every church really needs a pastor in order to function, but what's a pastor without a congregation to listen? We are all very different members of the same body, but we can all come together and use what we have been given.
No matter what your "area of expertise" is, you can use it to serve your church and to build up the body of Christ. Do you love music? Try putting together a song to sing with your friends for special music and bless those around you. Love little ones? Why not volunteer to work in the nursery or Sunday school? Like computers and technology? Maybe you could help record sermons or work the lights. The possibilities are nearly endless.
How can YOU serve your church with what God has given you?
Hannah
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