August 19, 2018

Unwrapping my gift then giving it away

“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 4:10–11)

The view I have about spiritual gifts shapes my response to these verses. I believe that the main gifts are motivational in nature. That is, a ‘teacher’ will love to collect and dispense information and desire people to think biblically. A ‘server’ is practical and will see and do what is needed. These gifts are described in Romans 12.

The other gift list in Corinthians is more about specific actions that manifest the Holy Spirit and His power. That is, a needy person may need a word of wisdom and it can come from any Christian that God gifts at that moment to give it. Another may be confused by false teaching and need someone to untangle it for him, and so on.

Regardless of my main motivational gifts, I’ve no excuse to abandon the other gifts. I’m not strong in compassion, but if God puts me in a situation where someone needs comfort, I’m to rely on Him to do what is needed.

All the gifts are from God and an expression of His grace, used to demonstrate that grace and glorify Him by serving one another. When I fail in any area that Peter speaks of in the above verses, it is when I smile and say ‘thank you’ instead of giving God glory when He gifts me to serve others.

Every now and then I hear of someone who has done a good thing and allows the credit to be given to another. This person is not concerned about fame, only that the good was done. Most of us are not like that. In our insecurities and pride, we like the strokes that give us significance. Spiritual growth is about getting over that, and it surprisingly does not happen by putting myself down. It happens by realizing who I am in Jesus Christ. That begins with this conviction:

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

I can take credit for my sinful flesh. I can even say that I want to love and obey Jesus with all my heart, but I know that desire is from the Holy Spirit. I also know that I can think it fiercely but doing it eludes me unless my life is totally yielded to Him, and even that eludes me — He works in me to do the yielding, to drop the pride, to not care that He gets the credit because it is true that He deserves it. I am dead in Christ and alive by faith. He is the source of all gifts, all goodness, and He deserves all the praise.

Tozer says, “The provision of God by His pure and gentle and loving Spirit is still the positive answer for those hunger and thirst for a life and spirit well-pleasing to God.” He also says God does not expect us to become holy because we are already holy. The point is, do I realize who I am? If I do, then glorifying God and giving Him the credit for all will be easy, even automatic.

^^^^^^^^
Jesus, I’m not always in that place. The enemy tells me I’m wrong or foolish, the world might pat my back or kick my backside, and the flesh will do the same. If I concentrate too much on this battle, then I lose the fight for the battle is not about my status — that has already been won! Today, help me be more settled than ever in my mind as to who I am in You and who You are in me — my Savior and Lord, my very life.

No comments: