Bible Passage: “…in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” (Romans 12:5 NIV)
Scripture Reading: Romans 12:1-8
My wife’s parents give really generous Christmas gifts. Ever since entering the family, I look forward to the things they give us each Christmas.
One year, I remember them giving our whole family one “family gift” instead of a bunch of individual gifts. When the wrapping paper of that big box was removed, a new KitchenAid mixer stood before us.
Honestly, I was a little disappointed. I didn’t bake. However, I had no idea how useful that mixer would be. In the years since, we’ve used that gift more than any other.
We began this week with an invitation to approach spiritual gifts like kids at Christmas, eagerly desiring whatever our amazing Father has for us. Part of our indifference or resistance to spiritual gifts may reflect how little we believe God really is a good gift-giver.
We’ll finish by reframing spiritual gifts as family gifts, just like that mixer.
Just as I do, many of you have no idea how useful and transformative it will be if God increasingly empowers your church through spiritual gifts of every kind. Men, your church is weakened if you don’t learn to know and use your gifts to build up the family of God. Just like that mixer, we need to understand that spiritual gifts are for the flourishing of the family.
In the years since we received that mixer, two of my daughters have learned to bake. Kids learning to bake (and use a KitchenAid mixer) means messes. Part of my job as a dad was to know that messes would be made and to slowly and patiently teach my kids to bake (and use that mixer properly).
In the same way, we need to expect that unwrapping the gifts of the Spirit will create some messes. The Corinthian church was making a mess with their spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12-14), yet the Apostle Paul humbly encouraged them to keep using the gifts, to seek them more, and to do so in love.
Gentlemen, our lives and our gifts are meant for the family. Seek the gifts, seek the maturity to use them well, and seek a lifestyle of building up God’s family with your gifts. Embrace your place as a family gift that God has given to His Church.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, please pour out family gifts in the churches around the world. Lord, I ask again that You’d give me the gift of _____ that I might better serve You and Your people. Holy Spirit, work powerfully in our midst that we might increasingly be full of the fruit of the Spirit and gifts of the Spirit. Glorify Your Name and build up Your Church through men around Your world. Amen.
Reflection: What’s a good next step as you seek to discover, develop, and utilize your spiritual gifts for the good of your church family and the glory of God?
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