Each of us was created by God as an individual capable of living independently in this world and caring for our own needs. For service and self-care, the Lord endowed us with special abilities, while our parents and society helped us develop them and acquire certain skills so that we might be healthy, clean, hardworking, respectful, and useful to others. Although each of us has our own individuality, we all live in a society of people like ourselves and must develop the ability to communicate with one another.
The enemy of souls makes his own adjustments to relationships, but God is not inactive either. In one way or another, every person receives an opportunity to know God and choose the path ahead—some to destruction and others to new life in Christ.
When the Holy Spirit draws me to Christ and reveals to me the meaning of the sacrifice of Calvary, and I begin to believe that Jesus is my Savior, my life is transformed and I become a believer. As I grow, I begin to seek fellow believers. But I may also come to faith while already among believers. This community has various spiritual gifts and forms of ministry to help me know God even better, grow in Christ, and attain full spiritual maturity. As I believe in Jesus and learn His will, I decide to receive water baptism and thereby become a representative of God’s people. Through this ordinance I am accepted as a member of the church. I become part of the body of Christ. But in this body, every member has special gifts from God for serving the other members and building up the whole body, and for carrying out the work of bearing further witness to the world that God has a plan to save every person from the power of sin and to bring earthly history to its close at the Second Coming of Jesus to this world.
The gifts of the Holy Spirit should not be confused with His fruit. Talents and ministries differ, and we are not all expected to possess the same gift for the same ministry. But the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance—must be in the heart of every church member, regardless of the gift that person possesses or the ministry that person performs. The fruit of the Spirit helps every ministry to be carried out properly, with the right motive and spirit. Can someone be a teacher or pastor without having love? Yes, but the absence of the fruit of the Spirit will affect the other members and exert a harmful influence.
God gives each of His sons and daughters a unique gift according to His own will. In doing so, the Lord takes into account the abilities, desires, and interests of every church member. It is not always possible to understand immediately what gift I possess, and therefore the observations of others help reveal my abilities and develop them. People also have inborn talents, such as an ear for music, a voice, a good memory, or a particular temperament, which may be used in ministry. Yet these are not the same as the gift of the Spirit bestowed for a specific purpose in the life and growth of the church.
A spiritual gift may develop according to needs and expectations, or it may be buried and not used for its intended purpose.
If I desire to become a pastor or teacher, this does not mean that I possess that gift. It is quite possible that my proud heart craves power over people’s minds so that I may dictate my will to them. But those appointed to these forms of ministry are people who are growing in the knowledge of the truth, have earned the trust of their fellow believers, and are approved by the church. Unfortunately, this principle is not observed everywhere among God’s people. Sometimes a person sets a goal of attaining a leadership position and, having obtained it, becomes a master over others or clings to his position, thereby grieving the Lord.
One of Christ’s chosen disciples was Judas, who was a thief and became a betrayer. Therefore, I should not be surprised when I hear that a similar spirit is present among God’s people. I always ask, ‘Lord, are You still the Head of my church?’ Then I become convinced that You are, and I humbly carry out my ministry, striving to do it from a pure heart.
Love harmonizes beautifully with every gift of God. It reveals itself beautifully in every kind of ministry. It is compatible with everything, and through it all the gifts become one whole organism in which every member successfully performs his or her small tasks for the common good and growth. Love binds into one whole what could not otherwise be united or made compatible.
Have you ever wondered who controls my body? I can create favorable living conditions for my body, care for it, or destroy it, but my internal organs do not obey me. They receive commands and instructions directly from God and do what He has placed within them, performing their work independently of my desires. Physicians can study the structure of the body and the laws governing the organs, and they can make certain adjustments, but restoration and healing come from the Lord.
In the same way, the Church of Christ is governed from outside itself. The enemy of souls, in cooperation with fallen people, will try to introduce disorder and sin into the ranks of God’s people. But God rules this world, and He knows when the harvest will come and the wheat will be separated from the tares forever. We should not take God’s functions upon ourselves, lest we harm those who are genuine, though weak. It is better to do what contributes to the growth of the church.
According to Scripture, spiritual gifts include faith, the gift of healing, the gift of prophecy, the gift of preaching, the gift of teaching, the gift of administration, the gift of reconciliation, the gift of compassion, the gift of mercy, and the gift of selfless service to others in order to support and encourage them. Some gifts are for the common good of the church, while others are personal gifts for serving one’s family and those who live nearby. These should not be confused or exchanged for one another.
I do not distribute God’s gifts, but I can recognize the talent possessed by other church members, draw their attention to it, and help them develop it. I cannot claim even one of the gifts for myself. But if I set a goal of accomplishing something in service to people, study the truth in that area, and apply it in my life, it is quite possible that the Lord will bless my efforts and endow me with that gift.
I once dreamed of having the gift of healing so that, at my word, every illness would leave the body of the sick person. I imagined how much good I could do, and I prayed for it. But the Lord did not send me such a gift. When I began studying health reform, however, I saw that it contains the principles of success and healthy living. After all, instant healing is the simplest thing that can be done for a person. He will rejoice, but he will not understand why he became ill and will therefore become ill again. But if he is taught the principles of a healthy lifestyle, he will cease to be sick. There are exceptions, of course. Yet in extreme cases, the Lord did answer my prayers. He miraculously healed both me and those close to me.
Love is also a gift, but it is the fruit of the Spirit. Everyone who grows on the Vine and is nourished by Its sap will receive it.
Questions for Reflection
Please read Acts 6:1–7; Romans 12:4–8; 1 Corinthians 12:7–11, 27–28; Ephesians 4:8, 11–16; 1 Timothy 3:1–13; 1 Peter 4:10–11; 2 Timothy 2:24–26; Hebrews 13:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:19; Colossians 3:14, 17; 1 Corinthians 12:18–27; John 15:5–8; and 1 Corinthians 13:1–3, 8 in the light of this chapter. What did you understand from this chapter? Do you know what your gift is, and how do you use it? How can the spiritual gift of a brother or sister in the church be identified? What should I do if I occupy a place in ministry that is not mine and perform it out of duty or for a salary rather than from a desire to serve? What spiritual gifts do you know? If a church is small, does this mean that each of its members must possess many gifts and perform a variety of ministries? If I have not been entrusted with any ministry, how can I understand what I should do? How does love reveal itself in the diversity of ministry? Are spiritual gifts present in traditional churches?