Honoring the Giver by Honoring the Gift

I once purchased a beautiful candle holder for a friend. That friend gushed gratitude for the gift. Months later, while visiting my friend, I saw the candle holder tossed into a carton for Goodwill. I still remember how I felt — a sense of loss and hurt — a rejection of a gift of the heart.

How does God feel about the way we treat the gifts we are given? Not material gifts, or the gifts of our bodies and minds, but our spiritual gifts? For years, I have led spiritual gifts workshops; and although interest is growing, many people are ignorant about the gifts they possess.

Take a moment to read three passages of Scripture that reveal important teachings about spiritual gifts:

1 Corinthians 12
Romans 12:1-8
Ephesians 4:1-16

Everyone is specially gifted by God. The question is never, "Am I gifted?" Rather, the question should be,"What are my gifts?"

When people discover their gifts, they are empowered to fulfill God's purpose for their lives.

The church does not define the gifts; rather, the church is defined by the gifts. The Scriptures noted above indicate that congregations are as uniquely gifted as individuals. The church doesn't define its work, then "plug people in" to positions or offices. Form always follows function, and the structure of the church organization is rooted in the gifts of the people.

Spiritual gifts discovery is a corporate journey toward understanding the will of God. No spiritual gift is given solely for the benefit of the individual. Gifts are given for the common good — to build the body of Christ. Spiritual gifts are synergistic — the linked result is greater than the sum of the parts. Knowledge may be impressive; but until it is linked with the gift of teaching, tested by the gift of discernment, and supported by the gift of wisdom, it lacks the power to transform.

The gift of healing — linked with gifts of compassion, leadership, servanthood, and evangelism — moves us into the world to save lives. Healing linked with helping, exhortation, administration, and shepherding focuses us inward to care for one another. Our gifts in combination reveal the character and identity of our congregation.

It is not enough to simply identify our spiritual gifts. Through the improvement and development of spiritual gifts, we increase our effectiveness and efficiency. Until we discover and develop our gifts, we may waste valuable resources attempting to do things for which we are not equipped.

Our world is filled with incredible need. God gives us both the opportunity and the gifts necessary to meet every need. God waits anxiously to see what we will do with these gifts.