Perpetual Expressions

Today is my birthday and I’m thinking gifts – big ones! Some recent blog talk and personal studies have really pushed me to examine and think about spiritual gifts. What are spiritual gifts? I think the best explanations can be found in Romans 12 and I Corinthians 12, but simply put they are abilities, talents and traits God strengthens and utilizes in each of us to further His kingdom. They include, but are not limited to, leadership, knowledge, wisdom, service, teaching, generosity, and pastoring. I know, lots of people lead or teach or serve. That’s true, but the separating factor with spiritual gifts is that people lead or teach or serve in a way that glorifies God. It is a extraordinary ability gifted to us from God for the sole purpose of strengthening the community of God.

So, we all have a spiritual gift sitting in store, waiting to be tapped into. God gives us all different gifts. Let’s face facts, a world full of leaders with no one willing to serve or generously support the leaders would be a fiasco. We’re all given different gifts for a reason. It’s so the work of God can actually get done.

For example, three people went out together to witness. One had the gift of knowledge, the ability to study and examine scripture and faith to understand God’s will better, another the gift of teaching, the ability to communicate with and instruct others in their belief and God’s Word in a clear and concise way, and the last the gift of wisdom, the ability to examine scripture, opinions, and resources to reach a deeper sense of Truth. None of the three have a better gift than another and if they work together, they can help to strengthen each other’s faith and spiritual strength. But more than that, they have the ability to spread God’s Word in three distinct ways. So, they can reach the people who need to see the Word in print and understand it’s impact and Truth. They can reach the people who want to see and hear the Word, but need to have it clarified in less complicated terms and understand how it relates to their life. And they can reach the people who need to be reasoned with and convinced to give the Gospel a chance before they ever even agree to glimpse at the printed Word. Three different perspectives, one goal. Three different gifts, one God.

But how many times have we undervalued our God-given gifts? I have many times looked at someone who quotes scripture with authority or preaches the gospel in breath-taking language and felt lacking. These are spiritual gifts I should appreciate, but they are not the spiritual gifts with which God has granted me. My gift is not less than another, but different. Its application is different, but its purpose is the same – show others how great is our God.

But how many times have we undervalued the God-given gifts of others? I have many times clenched my teeth in frustration because someone did not have the same conviction I did in a situation; times when I was short-tempered because someone did not think, feel, or react as I would. Just as we must appreciate our spiritual gifts and how they work in accord with others, we must remember that others may not share our gifts either. I now realize that instead of getting irritated, I should assess how another person’s gift may apply to the situation to bring about God’s will. I should look at the differences as individual parts of the vehicle who work together get us down God’s road, not as a roadblock trying to hinder my walk.

This has been long and more instructional than insightful today. You’ll have to forgive. It is my birthday after all and I’m learning how to appreciate all the gifts.