We all need to use our gifts in service of the church. If you let your gifts lie dormant in the Church, you are hindering the body of Christ. The Apostle Paul metaphorically uses the human body to illustrate how the Church needs every person to complete the gospel mission.
“Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if th
e ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact, God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.” (I Corinthians 12:15-18 NIV)
The Holy Spirit works in us to bring unity to the body of Christ through the closeness of believers and Jesus. To achieve this closeness, we must keep ourselves free from all forms of bondage and entanglements so we are free to serve the Lord. When you focus on pressing forward in the things of God, it is much easier to resist sin and its temptation. The Apostle Paul tells us, “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13b – 14 NIV) The gifts God gives you are essential to the Church.
Using your God-given gifts should be a labor of love, not dread. We should look forward to what God has asked us to do. It should come from gratitude for what Jesus has done for us. Jesus saved us from an eternity in hell so that we could spend eternity with Him, basking in His glory. So, we should be motivated to tell others about Ch
rist because of our love for Jesus (because He first loved us).
God’s pleasure is perpetual when we use our gifts and talents, but the joy that man or circumstances bring is fleeting. The enjoyment continues when we have the proper perspective on working for the Lord. When we do not have the right motive to serve God, joy is short-lived.
Have you ever felt you didn’t know what God wanted you to do or your gifts? One of the names of God is Elohim, which means the God who reveals Himself. God will reveal His purpose in your life. So, move out and move on! As you serve God and the Church, His goal will become more apparent. As you serve, you will be blessed with unknown spiritual riches. Do not fear. God is with us and will help us as we serve.
Paul tells the Galatians, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap if we faint not.” (6:9 NIV). There are many reasons to press on toward what God has called us to do, but we are not to grow weary with people as they try to find Christ. We must keep praying, serving, and using our gifts – the Church needs you.
