Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
– Romans 12:6-8
Where I live, as it is in many other places, shoppers are offered the privilege of knowing at least two things when purchasing a product. We are told what the product is, and how much of the product is in the package. Both pieces of information are helpful. We like to be clear regarding what we are getting, as purchasing the wrong thing is usually not helpful. We also like to know how much we are getting. If we try to pull off a recipe with insufficient amounts of ingredients, the final product will not turn out well. Contents and quantity are both good to know.
Writing to Jesus followers in Rome, Paul offers words of insight regarding what we call spiritual gifts. The gifts mentioned are not intended to be exhaustive. Paul mentions other gifts in 1 Corinthians 12, and a precise set of gifts in Ephesians 4. The main focus here in Romans is to remind people that, as Paul has just said in verses 4-5, that they are all part of one body in Christ and therefore have a mutually supportive responsibility to one another. In order to live out that responsibility, each person in the body of believers must gain an awareness of how the Spirit has extended grace to them for the work of ministry.
One thing Paul does is to give some examples of content. It is all given as a manifestation of God’s grace, but that grace enables different things from one person to the next. For instance, some are enabled with the gift of prophecy. Others are enabled to teach, and still others have gifts of leadership. The person with the gift of leadership may not be the person you want on the front lines of compassion ministries; mercy may not flow as abundantly from them. Someone with the gift of service might be willing to teach, simply because they are generally willing to serve wherever there is a need. However, a teaching role is nearly always filled better by one who is called and gifted to that work. If we have clarity regarding the Spirit-gifts we have received, we will be better able to discern where we can have the greatest impact in the body.
While the content may be the point of primary importance, quantity is also suggested in the text. For example, the one who exercises prophecy is to do it “according to the proportion of his faith.” One with the gift of giving should do it liberally (in the basic definition of the word), and the one in compassion ministries (mercy) should demonstrate a cheerful spirit that overflows from a heart filled with Christ’s love. A giver’s gifts will likely become more generous as God enlarges the heart and the storehouse of the giver. One who shows mercy will have increasingly genuine and deep compassion as God fills her or his heart with love. The one who prophesies will be able to speak with more conviction and to deeper things as that person’s faith grows. You can be sure that God would not have sent Elijah to Mt. Carmel for a showdown with hundreds of Baal prophets when Elijah was a rookie prophet. Elijah would be ready to tackle that after being at his ministry for a while.
I am quite sure that God does not want more from us than in accordance with what we have received. However, I am convinced that God does not expect less from us than in accordance with what we have received. “To whom much is given, much will be required” (Luke 12:48). Having a full “tool box” of functioning gifts enables a congregation to effectively accomplish all of the work to which they are called. A limited “tool box” means a narrow capacity for ministry. God has placed you in the body of Christ in order to serve according to your gifts. Understand what those gifts are, and be mindful of how God is increasing the proportion of those gifts in your life.
See you along the Winding Path.
