One of the topics that often receives, and requires, teaching in the Christian Church is that of so-called Spiritual Gifts. This is hardly a new thing. Paul was teaching about it in the first century to the Corinthians (1Cor12) and the Ephesians (Eph 4) and others (e.g. Romans 12).
But it is still an important thing to teach about as there seems to be much confusion about it. One of the divisions in the Protestant Churches of today seems to between the so-called "Charismatic" and "Evangelical" movements and a large part of that division seems to be based around the understand of spiritual gifts. This is particularly ironic as in the places where the New Testament particularly teaches about theses gifts, the over-riding focus of the section in on Unity within the church.
So why am I saying all this? Because I recently gained a perspective on gifts that I find very helpful. It seems to put things in the right context in that it focuses on people, and people are what God is really interested in: People and their relationships to Him and to each other.
My observation is simply this: That some of the most significant gifts that I have received from God are people. The greatest gift was certainly a person: Jesus. Other gifts are very often people: people who encourage, or teach, or challenge, or care, or reveal God in some other way. I wouldn't say that gifts from God are exclusively people: God is much bigger than that. But it seems that when God wants to speak or act in someone's life, he prefers to do it with another person.
One question that sometimes comes up in the context of spiritual gifts is "What is the difference between gifts and talents?". I don't think this is a very useful question as it focusses too much on the ability, and too little on it's use. If we focus not on gifts being abilities but more on gifts being people, we ask questions like "How can I be a gift to my church?" or "How can I receive, or unwrap, the gifts around me, the people God has placed in my life?" Where their abilities came from doesn't matter so much. How those abilities are utilised does.
The other question that so commonly comes up is "What are my spiritual gifts?" For a start, I don't like this question as it suggests that the gifts are somehow "Mine". They aren't. They are God's.
But more than that, it looks inwardly when we should be looking outwardly. A better question is "How am I a blessing to others?" or "What opportunities to I see around me?" This is where we should focus our attention. If God is going to "gift" us with some special abilitiy, he will do it as we step out to serve him, not as we sit back and navel-gaze.
So let me leave you with a two-fold challenge:
1: You are a gift from God to those around you. How will you be a gift that is valued?
2: You are surrounded by people who are gifts from God. How will you unwrap them to allow them to be a blessing to you and God means them to be?
As you do these things, you might notice God enabling you in ways you had never thought possible. That's fantastic when it happens, but it isn't the end. It is the means. Let God worry about the means, you just focus on the end goal.
Just for the record, My answer to "What is the difference between gifts and talents?" is that you get to choose how you use your talents, but God alone can choose how you use his gifts. So if you are really focused on God, there won't be a difference.
Re: Spiritual Gifts of Spiritual People (01 August 2008, 22:02 UTC)
heya..i so agree on wat you have said about its not your gife its god..you are so right..keep up the great work god bless
simone
xoxox
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