Service 04: Use Your Gifts
Orientate
A lot of serving is just seeing a need and meeting it. You don’t need special abilities to clean up after dinner or sit with someone in pain or take blankets to homeless people or wash feet (how did that come up again?). It’s just a matter of putting your own needs aside and choosing to serve others. But that’s not the whole story. There are actually some things that you can do better than other people, and it would be such a waste if you didn’t do them. These abilities have been specially given to you by God and he expects that you will use them to serve others. Maybe you will see one of your gifts in this reading.
Explore: Romans 12: 1-8
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
Journal
Journal for a few minutes on the following questions:
1. What is God saying to me? Which verse is most significant?
2. What do I want to discuss/explore further?
3. What do I need to do?
4. Can you see anything that looks like one of your gifts?
Reflect
Let me address a few of the misconceptions that Christians may have about their gifts.
1. “I don’t have any gifts.” That is plainly not true. This passage presumes that everyone has a contribution to make. Your gift may not be on this list, but you have at least one. If you need any help to discern how God has gifted you, ask your mentor or Christian friends.
2. “My gift is not important.” Oh yes it is! The church needs every single gift if it is to function effectively. This reading emphasises the need to know and use your gift. If you slack off, the whole church suffers. Your gift is vital.
3. “I’m very gifted.” It’s true that some Christians can achieve more than others or have more noticeable gifts than others. But you have to be very careful if you think that somehow that reflects well on you. It just means that God has gifted you more (greater “measure of faith” 12:3 or “grace” 12:6) and therefore expects more of you. It certainly doesn’t mean you’re any better or more worthy. You’re just different because of God’s decision and design.
4. “Using my gifts comes naturally.” It certainly is easier and usually more fulfilling when you’re doing the things God has designed you to do. I’ve been gifted by God to teach and I love it. Give me a chance to communicate truth and I lap it up. But I don’t love all the preparation required. That’s plain hard work. It’s still costly using my teaching gift. And it will be the same for you. That’s why Paul is pushing the Romans here to serve with all they’ve got. Make sure you give it your best shot.
Pray
Thanks for the gifts you have given me for others. They come from you Holy Spirit and I’m not taking any credit. But I do want to use them well in serving both Christians and not-yet Christians. May I serve people diligently and cheerfully.
Respond
List a gift that you think God may have given you. Talk this over when you meet with your mentor.
