1 Corinthians 12:11
“But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.”
It always amazes me the makeup of every church. The different personalities, backgrounds and talents that each church has is different, but these differences exist to enable that church to reach their community for Jesus Christ. This is why it is important for every church member to get involved because God has given them a gift that will help their church better reach their community.
In 1 Corinthians 12, God gives the makeup that He gave every church. In every church, there are those who are naturally gifted, those who hold church offices and those who are involved in the daily operations of the church by fulfilling their ministry. Each of these people are given a different gift to help fulfill one of these roles. Some are gifted with wisdom, others are gifted with the knowledge to show how to do something, others are gifted with the ability to discern direction better than others, etc. There are several thoughts we must learn about this area of gifts.
First, everyone has their own gift. It is important that you learn your gift and grow it. The gift God has given to you is to help your church better reach your community. Don’t expect everyone to have your gift because God has given it to you so you can help your church.
Second, don’t be jealous of another’s gift. God gave each person their own gift. Stop being jealous of another’s and start using your own gift to do what God wants you to do with it. Jealousy of another’s gift will only waste your own.
Third, don’t belittle another’s gift to lift up your own. Competing gifts won’t help build the body of Christ. You don’t have to tear down another’s gift just to show the importance of yours. Each gift is important to the work of the LORD. Don’t let the Devil sow the seed of jealousy in your heart. If you will realize the importance of your gift and use it, you won’t feel the need to tear another’s down.
Fourth, don’t be too proud to ask someone who has a gift to help you in their gifted area. It is important that you realize that someone who is gifted in an area can help you if you will humble yourself to ask them. If someone is gifted in the area of discernment and you are not, ask for their help in discerning right and wrong. If someone is gifted in the area of healing and you know someone who is hurting, ask them to come with you to help the person that life’s circumstances has hurt. Each person can help each other because each person has a gift that the other does not have.
Fifth, realize each gift is given to benefit the church. The whole purpose of God giving gifts to each person is to profit the church. The sooner we realize that we are on the same team, the quicker we will start utilizing the gifts of every individual. The purpose for which God led you to your church is so that you can use your gift to help that church.
Most churches struggle because people won’t use their gifts to help the church or they won’t ask those who are gifted to help them in that area. Every person has some gift that will benefit the church; let’s find that gift and utilize it for the sake of reaching our community for Christ.