Do you ever feel like you have been left out when it comes to the ability to serve God's Kingdom? I have great news: Every believer is gifted and chosen by the King Himself to serve alongside Him for the advancement of the Kingdom. Our spiritual gifts are God's provision enabling us to serve Him effectively as a community of priests.
All are gifted
Paul declares: "Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us" (v. 6, NASB). Whenever Paul wrote about spiritual gifts, he hammered away at the false notion that only a few "spiritually elite" were gifted for service. In the Corinthian community there were individuals who wanted to boast about their spirituality based on their gifts. While Paul acknowledges that different gifts exist, he asserts "there are different activities but the same God is active in everyone and everything" (1 Corinthians 12:6).
This first principle contains two obvious implications. First, there are no spectators in the Body of Christ. You were saved and gifted by God to serve for the advancement of the Kingdom. Second, all members of the body must work cooperatively for the church to operate with full effectiveness. You are important to the work of your church.
Sober evaluation
Spiritual gifts seem to create two distinct problems. The first is that of "over-evaluation," which results in spiritual pride, arrogance, and disunity. Over-evaluation is the result of someone seeing their gift as a sign of spiritual value. Gifts tell us nothing about the possessor but everything about the giver. Since all gifts are the expression of God's grace, why would anyone become arrogant?
The second problem is under-evaluation. This is seen when a person concludes that they have no gift and thus they sit on the sidelines, never getting involved in the Kingdom activity of the church. Some studies indicate that less than 25 percent of the members of the average evangelical church are involved in any meaningful way in the ministry of their church. Under-evaluation is sinful because it denies the clear teaching of God's Word and it deprives the church of the services of gifted members.
Paul's antidote to both problems is the same: "Think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one" (Romans 12:3). Any Christian who fails to discover and utilize his or her gift in service to or through the church sins against the King and weakens His body, the church.
Unity in diversity
"Now as we have many parts in one body, and all the parts do not have the same function" (Romans 12:4). Our diversity enables us to experience unity. We can see this clearly when we look at the human body. Each of our body parts play a different role, but they must work in cooperation if the body is to function as a unified whole.
This was precisely the point Paul intended to make when he compared the gifted church to the human body in 1 Corinthians 12:12-21. Some of his illustrations border on the ludicrous, as body parts debate with one another concerning their relative value. When you read the passage, be careful not to laugh aloud since it sounds too much like the discussions we have in our churches.
This principle has two important corollary truths. First, no one individual, no matter how gifted, can do it all. And second, every member must do his/her assigned task if the body is to be unified and effective.
Interdependent
"We who are many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another" (Romans 12:5). Spiritual gifts make us dependent upon one another. I often hear people declare, "I don't need the church or other believers to live the Christian life!"
Nothing could be further from the truth. The fact that no one has all the gifts makes us dependent upon on another. As members of one body we are so interrelated that when one part rejoices, we all rejoice, and when one suffers, all alike suffer (1 Corinthians 12:26). Any body member separated from the life of the body has neither purpose nor vitality.
The common good
Spiritual gifts are distributed by God with one goal: the building up of the body of Christ. Gifts are not given for our amusement or the amazement of our friends; they are given to enable the church to accomplish its Kingdom purpose. Knowing this principle should lead every believer to earnestly desire those gifts which are most likely to build up our church. Listen to Paul's advice: "So also you - since you are zealous in matters of the spirit, seek to excel in building up the church" (1 Corinthians 14:12).
Practical implications
We are gifted to serve as co-laborers with God, enabled to do whatever He asks us to do.
No task accomplished for the King is mundane or insignificant.
No person is unimportant.
No task is too great for the church.
Many individuals and many churches suffer from a spiritual inferiority complex. We think, plan, and budget as if it all depends upon us. We serve a sovereign God who has infinite resources and desires to make them accessible to us as we join Him in advancing His Kingdom to the ends of the earth.