Romans 12:5-8 “So in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.”
One of the great workings and observations of the body of Christ is to see it functioning biblically. It is a tapestry of gifting merging together to meet one another’s needs and to become the life of God to the world. This is executed when each one of us recognizes and deploys the gifts God has placed in us. We are uniquely wired to fulfill a divine purpose in the body of Christ. The ones listed here I have labeled as “Serving Gifts.” There are two other categories in the New Testament: The “Office Gifts” (Ephesians 4:11,12) and the “Power Gifts” (1 Corinthians 12:1-11). Many people focus on the Office Gifts (“I’m an apostle!”) and don’t realize that the path to the Office Gifts is through the Serving Gifts.
There are seven Serving Gifts mentioned in our One Year Bible reading today: prophesying, serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, leadership, and mercy. Typically, the person using the gift doesn’t view the gift as a gift. They think it’s “natural” or just a part of their personality. A prime example would be those with the gift of encouraging. You wouldn’t think of that as a spiritual gift. Yet, the person receiving the encouragement values that gift immensely. The person using the gift doesn’t think they have done anything special. So it is with the other gifts mentioned.
There is a key phrase in our reading that must be emphasized so that we realize the importance of using our gift. It is in verse 5: “…each member belongs to all the others.” Why do I need to be faithful to use my gift? Because I don’t belong to myself and neither does my gift. My gift was given to me by God to bless someone else. Therefore, I, as a member of the body of Christ, belong to the other members. My gift is theirs to enjoy, benefit from, learn from, etc.
I want to strongly encourage you to use your gift(s). There are people starving because we conceal our gift(s). The overwhelming position that this passage takes is that if you have a gift you must use it. Not only will you be blessed, but countless others will also be recipients of the ministry God has given you. Choose to bless someone today through your gift!