October 28th, 2023
by Steve Marshall
by Steve Marshall
Church Family: Every believer at GCT has been given a spiritual gift for the purpose of serving someone else’s need. This means that whenever you are in need at GCT there is somebody who has a spiritual gift to meet that need. This is what makes GCT an effective, loving body of Christ. But what if your needs are going unmet? Well, most likely if your needs are going unmet either you have not let anyone know of your need or someone at GCT is not exercising their spiritual gift for the purpose of meeting your need. God gives Himself to you (1 Cor. 12:6) as His greatest gift through His Holy Spirit and He brings with Himself gifts to be used intentionally for the purpose of edification of the church.
Do you know what your spiritual gift(s) are that God has given you for the sake of others? Well, hold on, don’t go seeking the newest “spiritual gifts inventory.” The best way to find out how God has gifted you is simply by being involved in the lives of others at GCT. This is how Jesus designed you to find your Holy Spirit giftings. The apostles and the disciples in the churches of Acts and the Christians of the next 1950 years after Pentecost never had a spiritual gift inventory. Jesus simply believed that if you, as His disciples, hang around each other in the church then you will discover how God has gifted you.
If you aren’t sure what your spiritual gifts are, don’t stress about it. Instead, start giving yourself to other believers in the church, as Jesus commanded, and you will quickly find yourself using your gifts. When you serve others, ask what brings you spiritual delight and joy? Or, when are you more fruitful in serving others? Do you get unusual spiritual delight or are you more fruitful in giving an encouraging word, serving, or giving financially, or doing mercy, or teaching, or leading, or exhorting (Rom 12:6-8). The Holy Spirit has molded your heart in a way so that you will find yourself unusually drawn to specific ways to serve others. Whatever that is, think of that as a gift of the Holy Spirit.
So, when considering your spiritual gifts, don't think about what has God given me for my own enjoyment or my own pleasure but instead what has God given me for someone else and for the larger need of the body of Christ?
When we think this way, we will also have our own needs met because someone else in the body of Christ is thinking the same way and they are meeting our need. This is how the body of Christ lives and breathes and continues to be effective. When we don’t think this way the body of Christ becomes selfish, self-centered, weak and disunited.
See you Sunday, sharing Spiritual gifts: Steve
Do you know what your spiritual gift(s) are that God has given you for the sake of others? Well, hold on, don’t go seeking the newest “spiritual gifts inventory.” The best way to find out how God has gifted you is simply by being involved in the lives of others at GCT. This is how Jesus designed you to find your Holy Spirit giftings. The apostles and the disciples in the churches of Acts and the Christians of the next 1950 years after Pentecost never had a spiritual gift inventory. Jesus simply believed that if you, as His disciples, hang around each other in the church then you will discover how God has gifted you.
If you aren’t sure what your spiritual gifts are, don’t stress about it. Instead, start giving yourself to other believers in the church, as Jesus commanded, and you will quickly find yourself using your gifts. When you serve others, ask what brings you spiritual delight and joy? Or, when are you more fruitful in serving others? Do you get unusual spiritual delight or are you more fruitful in giving an encouraging word, serving, or giving financially, or doing mercy, or teaching, or leading, or exhorting (Rom 12:6-8). The Holy Spirit has molded your heart in a way so that you will find yourself unusually drawn to specific ways to serve others. Whatever that is, think of that as a gift of the Holy Spirit.
So, when considering your spiritual gifts, don't think about what has God given me for my own enjoyment or my own pleasure but instead what has God given me for someone else and for the larger need of the body of Christ?
When we think this way, we will also have our own needs met because someone else in the body of Christ is thinking the same way and they are meeting our need. This is how the body of Christ lives and breathes and continues to be effective. When we don’t think this way the body of Christ becomes selfish, self-centered, weak and disunited.
See you Sunday, sharing Spiritual gifts: Steve
No Comments