We have this word “gifted.” We group students who are “gifted” together. We say that one person or another is truly gifted, as though others around them aren’t.
Paul here introduces the subject of spiritual gifts, those Holy Spirit-given gifts or talents that all members of a church have. He mentions only a few of the gifts here. (Below, I will share with you two other Scriptures that list gifts.)
To give an overview, we must first start by saying that ALL people in the church are gifted, that ALL people have at least one Spirit-given gift, that ALL are to use those gifts to build up each other and the church and their community as well. ALL the gifts are valuable and needed. Also, you were not given a gift by God that is not compatible with your temperament or preferences. Your gift will fit you somehow. But no gift is perfect without practice! You may need to learn how best to offer your gift. For example, you may have the gift of hospitality, but be new at offering that gift. You might feel a bit awkward or inept when you first offer that gift, but in time, you will get more ease and mastery being hospitable.
So, understand, you have a spiritual gift. Your gift is meant to be shared. You were not given that gift to think about it privately, never really daring to take it into real life. God gave it to you for you to use. It’s not ornamental!
The people in your life and in your church whom you most admire are probably those who have been using their gifts out loud, putting them into practice to enhance everyone’s worship or learning or faith. But you have gifts, too! Not every gift is spectacular, some are everyday, bread-and-butter gifts that make life good, orderly, logical, kind, sensible, clean, or dependable. For every truly remarkable offering of a gift, there were probably ten givers behind that, making it possible. The spectacular part blossomed out of a process that took many to nurture it. (Take a peek into the media room on a Sunday morning and all the media team members in posts around the Fellowship Hall and you will see only a part of the team that made Rich’s excellent sermon look and sound its best!)
Your gift is something you have a natural inclination toward. Not everyone can do it. It may come naturally to you, as you have been doing it a while, or you saw your parents do it, or you did it as a part of your regular everyday life. But what comes naturally to you is hard for others. Caregiving comes naturally to my Stephen Ministers. They’ve been giving care for years: it comes naturally to them to offer a kind, listening ear and a compassionate heart. But they submit to training so that they give even better care. They grow in their capacity and excellence. The gift of compassion and mercy comes naturally to them, but not everyone has that gift.
One of the ways God can give your life deep meaning and purpose is to uncover your gifts and begin to use them, for God’s glory, for the building up of your church and community, and for your own growth as a follower of Jesus.