Spiritual
gifts are not God’s gifts to us from the church, but God’s gifts to us for the
Church. They are God’s way of enabling us to do ministry in the spiritual life
of the Church, the body of Christ.
Our
home church is presently facing some things that seem to fit the profile of
Moses’ burning bush experience, where God had decided it was time to do
something. Or, maybe like the second time the nation of Israel arrived at the
Jordan River, and this time they had to go in. Then again, maybe it is like
Peter having fifty days to grow up and get to know Jesus better before the
Spirit came at Pentecost and denying Christ was no longer an option; or a
possibility.
My
point is that there are times when God seems to leave us to grow up a bit more,
kind of like after Moses killed the Egyptian slaver driver and needed another
forty years before he was ready to lead Israel to freedom, and then he comes
back with a word that announces it is time. No more waiting. No more getting stronger.
No more practicing. The game is on!
In
facing some new challenges in ministry, I found myself replaying the times when
I have seen the most and best activity of God in setting people free. It has
been a long time ago now that God began teaching me about childhood sexual
abuse, dissociation, eating disorders, addictions, and all kinds of broken-soul
issues that came down to people believing they were worthless and having no
hope of that ever changing.
God
said there is hope of change; time to put it into practice.
Which
reminds me of those best of times in the olden days, back when I was free to
watch other people doing the ministry, while fearing I was expected to learn
how to do the same things. Yup. I was expected to do the same things. Just in a
different way. Or, maybe a similar way with unique variations; like different
spiritual gifts all working together for the same healing and freedom work in
the lives of God’s children.
What
I recalled of those special times in the past was watching individuals use
their spiritual gifts to serve the body of Christ in love. They were clearly
obeying God’s command to, “through love serve one another.”[1]And
they were clearly expressing God’s word that spiritual gifts were unique, and
distributed freely according to the Spirit’s will.[2]
The
lesson at the time was simple: as each person did what they were given to do,
everything worked together to accomplish God’s work and will in the lives of
others. No one had to try to be like someone else, because that sameness would
have ruined the work. Each one had to be themselves in the Lord, contributing
what they were given, for all the ingredients to add up to the recipe God had
in mind.
Reminiscing
on those things was an encouraging gift for last night.
This
morning, God had more encouragement from another direction. It came in the way
of a member of the body of Christ sharing a Scripture from her time with God
that was simply what God had given her for that day. It was also what God was
giving the rest of the body for this day. It was a third witness to the clear
message that it was my time to use my spiritual gifts my God-given way for the
good of others. Yes, I have been doing that in some ways for a long time. Now God
has something of the totally-out-of-my-comfort-zone variety. New situation
faced; new faith required.
The
Scripture that ministered to me through the body of Christ (which
coincidentally demands that I get busy in my ministry to the body of Christ), was
this: “Show hospitality to one another without
grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's
varied grace:”[3]
Each believers
has received “a gift”, each believer
is to “use it”, and our use of our
gifts is “to serve one another”.
Simple. Not easy. Or is it? If I live by the belief that God will never give me
more than he can handle, I can’t really say it will be hard for God to do his
work, can I? Now, why did “faith” just pop into my head?
© 2014 Monte Vigh ~
Box 517, Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8 ~ in2freedom@gmail.com
Unless otherwise
noted, Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible,
English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway
Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.)
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