“Nobody is mad at you for the gifts you don’t have.” –Jonathan Rogers, The Habit Podcast
I recently heard the above quote in a podcast with author Jonathan Rogers. He had put a request for a fondue pot out on Facebook. He wanted to borrow one and not to buy it. Buying it would mean storing it and he did not want to have to find space in his kitchen for another device. He reached out to some of his closest and dearest friends, well, he reached out to his Facebook friends. And lo and behold, one of them had a fondue pot that he could borrow. Jonathan Rogers makes the point that he was not mad at the others for not giving what they did not have. There is something useful here for the church.
Writing about spiritual gifts, Don Whitney notes:
“At the moment of salvation when the Holy Spirit comes to live within you, He brings a gift with Him. We’re told in 1 Corinthians 12:4, 11 that there are many different varieties of gifts, and the Holy Spirit determines by His sovereign will which gift goes to which believer: “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.… All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.” Even more specific is 1 Peter 4:10, which certifies that each Christian is specially gifted and that the purpose for that gift is service: “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” (Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, 123.)
We cannot minister effectively with gifts we do not possess. We should not be expected to do so. If someone has a gift to teach, should they be put in charge of overseeing administrative details? The answer is yes and no, and it depends, but the larger point I am trying to make is that God in his sovereign wisdom has given gifts to his church. We can derive much joy from exercising the gifts that God has given us. The exercising of our gifts, (ex: service, evangelism, hospitality, giving, administration, etc.) also requires work and discipline. Do you know what your spiritual gift is? If not, meditate on the following passages: Romans 12:4-8; 1 Cor. 12:6-11 and 27-31; 1 Peter 4:10-11. I want to close by repeating the first portion of a verse written by the apostle Peter, “Each one should use whatever gift he has…” Yes, and amen! Let each person use the gift/s they have, and no one will hold you accountable for the exercising of gifts that you do not have. Have a blessed week and we will see you on Sunday. D. V.
Love in Christ,
Pastor Dale
