Photograph of the Corpus Christi District's clergy and family retreat, April, 2014
Discovering, Developing, and Deploying our Gifts
From 1 Corinthians 12: 4-13: Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses. For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
Have you ever thought, "I wish I had what that guy/gal has, I'd really be able to serve the Lord if I only had what they had!"? If you have you're not alone, but as Paul is describing these gifts of the Holy Spirit, he had the wisdom given to him by God and through his experiences at working with Spirit-filled believers to know that not all people have the same gift; but all are still part of the one body of Christ. It is the same God who gave you your gift and gave me mine. The real question is discovering, developing and deploying our gift to honor and serve God. No one is better or worse because they have different gifts; what may be different is that some have discovered and are using their gift more effectively. The sad thing is there are some who have beautiful gifts but do not use them out of fear or other reasons. Paul had seen and heard people speak wise things. He had heard awesome knowledge shared by others. Paul had seen faith unlike faith ever seen before, and he had seen people with the gift to heal others. Same Spirit. Same God. Paul had seen miracles worked before his very eyes, and heard speak a tremendous word from God in situations needing it. And he had heard people speak in tongues and heard people with the gift to interpret tongues. It did become confusing, and it became a source of contention for many; Paul is called upon by God to share the words we just read. "For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ."
The Holy Spirit is, or can be, at work in you and the work you were called to do for God in your setting. The real gift is to do and share what God has shared with you. We have to take the first step towards faithfulness and fruitfulness. We overcome fear or shyness with prayers asking for God to make us bolder and stronger; we ask for wisdom and courage to act when the time is right, but knowing that the time is now. And we do our work not for recognition or thanks from those who are in need, but to honor and glorify God.
PRAYER: Amazing God of all gifts, help me to discover, develop, and deploy my gifts for Your good. Help me in my weakness become the person You called me to be; this I pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
