“All Shapes and Sizes”

Romans 12:3-9

October 10, 2004

Rev. Kisten H. Thompson

Review: We’ve spent the last 3 weeks exploring what it means to “deliver God’s love” and now we turn to that part of the vision statement that describes “using our gifts”.  But before we consider the call to use our gifts, it’s good to remember that God always delivers to us first.  God never sends us out without filling us up first with God’s love, grace, compassion and passion. 

God fills us with gifts, talents and abilities: most especially God gives us spiritual gifts.  What makes a gift spiritual?  In LifeKeys, the authors describe them this way: a gift is “spiritual” when it helps us carry out a very special task: bringing people to God.  We may have a natural gift for teaching but it is a confirmed spiritual gift when you use teaching to draw people close to God through the help of the Holy Spirit.

Taking a look at the scripture: what does Paul tell the church and us about spiritual gifts?

• Paul lays a foundation-we’re all one body of Christ-members together and embers of one another.  “We’re in this together”.  We need everyone working, serving sharing together to build up one another and tot reach out to deliver God’s love.

• Spiritual gifts are gifts-that is given by God because of God’s grace-extravagant, overwhelming, forgiving love.  We don’t earn or work for spiritual gifts.  They are freely given

• God’s Spirit provides the whole spectrum of gifts-a wide variety-all designed so that the body of Christ has what it needs to deliver God’s love.  The gifts are used for the common good, not for the individual.  One gift is not better than another-all are needed.

What does this mean for daily living?

First you are called to claim your gift.  Ask yourself, “Do I know what my spiritual gifts are?”  If you can’t name and claim your gift, your ability to deliver God’s love, to serve, could be affected.

How can you uncover or confirm your gifts?

• Look where you are currently serving in ministry and mission.  If you can hardly wait to teach Sunday School year after year, you quite likely have the spiritual gift of teaching.  We have prayer ministers who offer to pray for and with people.  Praying brings great joy and deep satisfaction, to bring prayer concerns of others before the Lord.  It is quite probable that the prayer ministers have the gift of “intercession”.

• You can take a “spiritual gifts inventory”.  They are human tests and are not guaranteed to be infallible, but can provide confirmation of what you already suspect or believe to be true about yourself.  They could reveal a gift that is a “surprise” for you as well.

19 people participated in the LifeKeys workshop at the end of August.  For several people there were revelations concerning spiritual gifts: evangelism, giving, prophecy, leadership and yet in looking at their lives they could see that those gifts were present.  They just hadn’t been named or claimed before.

(If you want to learn more about LifeKeys and spiritual gifts assessments, go to www.changingchurch.org and click of LifeKeys.  Then go to spiritual gifts inventory and follow the prompts.)

Second, it doesn’t end with just “naming and claiming” your gifts.  You are also called to use your gifts.  Ask yourself, “How’s my serving?”  “Am I using those gifts God has intentionally given me so I can help draw people closer to God?”

This is where it’s helpful to know your gift.  Let’s say you have the spiritual gift for helping.  Are there things that are happening within the church or in other areas that could use your touch and gift?  Perhaps an event that requires additional help.  Sure, the event could take place without you, but when you add your service andthe use of your special gift, everyone is blessed.

When you have named and claimed your gift-it’s important to keep your eyes, ears and heart open to possibilities, to times when you can use your gift.

And the wonderful thing about spiritual gifts is because the gift comes from the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit stirs you and helps you to be eager and energized in using your gift, because that gift and you yourself are of God.

Finally, develop your gifts.  There is a tendency to say “I could never do that” or “God must be mistaken” in thinking about a particular gift.  But if we choose not to share our gifts for whatever reason, the church and Kindgom will be less than it could have been.  People who need God’s love in Jesus Christ may go untouched.  It’s like never unwrapping the gift someone has given you.

So if you have the gift of evangelism, but are not sure about that, take some initial steps to explore and develop the gift.  Look for opportunities to bring faith or your experience of Jesus into conversations in a natural way.  Pray about it.  Ask God to show you opportunities to use the gift.  Talk about it with other people  Ask them if they see that gift in you and ask them to help you use and develop that gift.

God means for gifts to be a blessing for us and for the people surrounding us.  My prayer is that you’ll pray, ponder and claim those spiritual gifts God has given you.  You’ll be enriched and the people you touch will be deeply blessed.  Amen.