We sometimes have a tendency to focus on what we don’t have rather than what we do have. We may see talented individuals and exclaim, “I wish I could do what they do.” What we fail to recognize is that they may not have the gifts that you possess.  God builds His Church through a diversity of gifts and we need to celebrate our differences. Unity is achieved as we complement one another through diversity, not uniformity. The Apostle Peter informs us that every Christian has at least one spiritual gift,

As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. (1 Peter 4:10)

God gives His people spiritual gifts so they can effectively minister for His glory. You may be wondering, “What’s a spiritual gift?” Spiritual gifts are divine abilities that are distributed by the Holy Spirit to every believer according to God’s purpose for the common good of the body of Christ. Can you identify your spiritual gifts?

You have at least one spiritual gift, that God has custom designed for you. Imagine how you would feel if you worked and strategized to get just the right gift for someone and after you gave it to him, he ignored it. I wonder if that’s how God feels when we’re not using the gifts that He’s given to us. The Apostle Paul encouraged Timothy to ensure that he was using his gift,  

Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery. (1 Timothy 4:14)

We must not only discover our spiritual gifts, but we must also develop our spiritual gifts,

For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. (2 Timothy 1:6)

God has given us unique gifts so we can more effectively serve others. We have a responsibility to discover, develop, and deploy our spiritual gifts for the building up of the body of Christ – His Church. In what ways are you using your spiritual gifts? The Church has been compared to a football game where we have twenty-two men desperately in need of rest being watched by twenty-thousand people desperately in need of exercise.

The New Testament lists several types of spiritual gifts and they fall into two general categories – speaking gifts and serving gifts, 

Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 4:11)

God will do amazing work through you as you use your gifts to serve others and bring glory to God.

Associate Pastor – Discipleship.  The Church at LifePark

Professor of Discipleship, Columbia International University

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