Romans 12:3-8
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. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 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; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 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.
Devotion
The next couple of days we will look at the spiritual gifts mentioned in Romans chapter twelve. This is not the complete list. You can examine some of the other gifts by reading First Corinthians 12:1-31.
The first spiritual gift mentioned is prophecy. Most people believe that prophecy has to do with foretelling the future. Sometimes prophecy might involve future events, but most of the time it deals with the present. This gift refers to one who discerns and expresses truth from God in order to exhort, edify, and comfort the church. Some might say that this gift is the ability to discern and “speak forth” or proclaim God’s will. The person with this spiritual gift has the ability to discern God’s will for the benefit of the Body. People with this gift are most effectively used in settings where decisions are being made and knowing God’s will is crucial.
The second spiritual gift that Paul writes about is the gift of serving. Some people refer to this as the “Martha” gift. Martha had a passion for serving others in her home. People with the gift of serving will avoid situations where big decisions need to be made but will thrive in an atmosphere where they can pitch in and get involved hands-on. People with the gift of serving are the foot soldiers who are on mission for Jesus. They are the hands and feet of Jesus. They are Jesus with skin! They are the face of the church. People with this gift are most effectively used in settings where hard work and commitment are crucial.
In his book, Discipleship Essentials, Greg Ogden defines spiritual gifts this way: “Spiritual gifts are our ministry capacity or abilities given by the Spirit that express our unique motivation for building up the Body of Christ.” So, what is our responsibility? We are to discover and use the gifts that God has given to us. If you are not sure how God has gifted you spiritually, please go to gifts.churchgrowth.org and take the spiritual gifts assessment. Once you get the results, contact your Community Pastor and let us help you figure out where you might most effectively be used in the Body of Christ here at Oak Pointe Church.
Questions to Ponder:
Do you like to be involved in the decision-making process? Do you like to work hands-on with people or on projects? What does Paul mean in verse seven, “for the common good”? What does this text have to say about diversity in the Body of Christ?
Prayer Points
- Worship the LORD as the Giver of all good gifts. Praise Him for being the Servant of all. Thank Him for being so creative and distributing the gifts so we may be one. Bring Him honor and glory and edify/build up our church family and those visiting.
- Confess times when you held back the gift God has given to you because of fear, rejection, or not being sure how to use it in the church family. Or confess jealousy of other people’s gift, or maybe being lazy and not using your gift at all.
- Pray for yourself and our church family at Oak Pointe, that every single person would know and grow in the gift that the LORD has given them. Pray, too, that we would allow others to use their giftings.
Suggested Prayer
Holy Father, King of Glory, giver of all good gifts, I praise You, Lord, for being all-wise and powerful. Thank You for Your commitment to me and people. Thank You for the ultimate gift of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. Thank You for the gift of Your Holy Spirit that resides inside of me and all those who accept Your Son, Jesus Christ, as Lord. Abba, thank You, too, for the gift(s) that You give every believer to build up, edify, and encourage one another. I lift up every brother and sister in Christ at Oak Pointe, and if they do not know what their gift is, are not using it, or don’t feel empowered to use the gift given to them, I ask that they will have the courage to reach out to a Community Pastor or their life group leader to talk about their gift and using it for the greater good of our church family. I ask all of this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.