Read: Romans 12:3-8
Back in the day, as a new-ish believer hungry to learn anything and everything I could about the Word, I listened to every sermon that I could find. I read all the books and listened to all the worship songs. I began to find myself dreaming about one day being knowledgeable enough to speak about the Word on stage or talented enough to lead worship. Alas, those just weren’t the gifts God gave me. Romans 12:3–4, tell us to be honest with ourselves about the faith God has given us and to remember that each of us has a purpose within the Church. Each of us has been called to contribute to the work of the body of Christ.
The world bombards us with the concerns of those around us, and if you’re like me, you get distracted. A quick scroll through any social media platform will remind you that the world is hurting. All of those messages make it seem like you should do something monumental to help (insert cause here).
The trouble is that is not what the scripture says. Romans 12 tells us that you should use your gifts right where you are. Are you a teacher? You should teach. Are you a leader? You should lead. Do you serve others in your job? Then do that. Also, you should teach or lead or serve for the Lord. This little shift in the “who” focuses the way we use our gifts. If you do what you do for God, right where you are, then you are doing it right. Stephen Covey calls it focusing on your circle of influence rather than your circle of concern. You can’t do much about things like wars and the economy. You can, however, use your gifts in your community.
Remember Romans 12. In verses 6–8, it doesn’t just say to lead. Paul tells us how to lead. We should lead diligently. He tells us how to contribute. We should do so generously. The part that Paul is describing is how we change our focus to God. Using our gifts right where we are and focusing on God while we do it contributes to the work of the Church while using our spiritual gifts.
Reflection Questions:
- What spiritual gifts do you believe God has given you?
- How are you currently using your spiritual gifts to serve others?
- What steps can you take to develop and grow in your spiritual gifts?