"Now Isn't That Special!"

Why do we like the “Church Lady” so much? Perhaps it’s because so many of us grew up with her (literally).  One of my favorite scenes is when she puts something or someone in their place by commenting, “Well isn’t that special!” I think of that scene when the subject of spiritual gifts and gift-based ministry comes up. While it’s true that spiritual gifts and gift-based ministries are special, all too often normal (self-centered) people use the process of gift discovery to prove that they are special. And that’s really not the purpose of spiritual gifts.

But that won’t deter us from exploring the subject. The simple truth is this: Jesus is building his church, the Holy Spirit is empowering Christ-followers to participate in that building, and the primary tools used are the special grace-gifts distributed by God’s Spirit. The Holy Spirit places certain brothers and sisters into a congregation to share life together, and that same Spirit distributes the specific gifts needed for that congregation to effectively and powerfully represent God’s Kingdom in the world.

The big picture is this: God created every human being with a specific purpose in mind. God planned you and me before we were born (Psalm 139:13-16). Biblical writers testified that God had known them and chosen them before they were conceived (Jeremiah 1:5; Galatians 1:13-15). “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11). No one is without divine purpose and eternal significance. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters” (Romans 8:28-29). Unfortunately, God’s purpose for our lives is detracted by the problems we have with sin. We tend to wander off, go astray, and miss the mark. The Good News is that Jesus has come to rescue us, to give us a new identity, and to put our feet on the right track, the track of God’s purpose. Each one of us are now “in Christ,” new creations (2 Corinthians 5:16-17). In Christ we are God’s craftsmanship, God’s masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10), and we are confident that the God who began this work of restoration in our lives will complete it (Philippians 1:6).

Aspects of God’s purpose for our lives depends on us discovering the specific and unique ways God has equipped and empowered us with grace-gifts. The New Testament word for “gift” (Greek charisma) literally means “the things pertaining to grace.” By definition, “grace” is not earned but is given freely. When God “gifts” us, it is not because we are special but because of the special purpose of God for us lives, determined from before the foundation of the world. Spiritual gifts are the tools we need to fulfill the purpose God has in mind for us. If we are to make any spiritually significant, redemptive contributions in life, it will be a result of us discovering and learning how to utilize the gifts God has given.

So what are spiritual gifts, what attitude should we have toward them, and how are we responsible to develop and use them? “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 4:10-11). Peter is very clear in saying that (1) spiritual gifts are to be used, (2) they are to serve others, and (3) we are stewards of those gifts. Peter goes on to describe general kinds of serving and speaking gifts. In the specific context of the Body of Christ Paul taught this: “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” (Romans 12:3-6). Before even bringing up the subject of grace-gifts Paul takes pains to remind us that God’s gifts are not about us but about the fruitful functioning of the members of Christ’s Body.

As a result, it is vitally necessary that every member of Christ’s church take the time to think about and discover the unique way God has gifted them. The church offers a variety of gift-discovery opportunities. However, finding out how you are gifted by God’s grace is pointless unless you are also committed to stewarding those gifts to serve others.

Every human person is born with a divine purpose. But that purpose is not self-contained; God’s purpose can only be fulfilled in the context of the human connections made in the context of authentic community. You and I have significance to the extent that we bear good fruit in the lives of others. Now that’s special!