By Lam Kuo Yung
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” –1 Peter 4:10
When visiting a friend’s church, I noticed a vibrant congregation with a great variety of ministries that met every conceivable need. Some of these ministries were large with many volunteers, while others were run by just one person. The interesting thing was that all who served were volunteers. At the first opportunity, I asked the pastor how this had happened. His answer was a pleasant surprise.
He said that when he took over leadership of the church many years ago, his wife had just given birth and he was the only staff member. As a result, many church members stepped in to serve (because if they didn’t, nothing got done!).
With the pastor constantly busy, they tried not to bother him with too many decisions and instead just went ahead and did whatever they thought was good for the community. Soon a culture of spontaneous serving based on each person’s spiritual gifts emerged. Today, even with the pastor’s kids grown up, church members are so used to taking the initiative in gift-based service that new ministries continue to sprout in the church!
The above is an accidental story with a happy ending despite its chaotic beginnings! It is by God’s grace, no doubt, that everything turns out well. Hence, it would be unwise to try to repeat this pastor’s experience. Rather, we apply the biblical principles which we see in this church’s experience.
Principle #1
Gifts from the Spirit are meant to be shared with the community.
The apostle Paul taught, “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:7). God never gives a gift for the member’s personal gratification. It is always meant for corporate enjoyment. Hence a spiritual gift may be defined as any ability which is given to a member of Christ’s church, by the Holy Spirit, for the edification of the body.
Jesus once told a parable about three servants who each received some money from their master before his departure to a distant land. They were given clear instructions to invest the money in his absence. Two of them diligently put the money to work, while the third was lazy and buried his money. When the master returned, the diligent servants were rewarded, but the lazy one was severely punished (Matthew 25:14-30).
After hearing this story, we may initially wonder why the master was so severe with the third servant. After all, his money was returned intact. However, if we realize that the money in this parable represents spiritual gifts, then we will know how great a sin the third servant has committed. While physical money buried remains money, spiritual gifts buried are lost forever. God is rightly incensed when His servants waste away His endowments.
Therefore, never ever bury a spiritual gift. If there is a ministry in church which allows you to express your gift, join it. If such a ministry does not exist, get the leaders’ permission to start one. Alternatively, don’t wait for a ministry to be started, simply use the gift to bless others! Spiritual gifts need not be expressed only in the context of a formal ministry. Any gift when exercised is a ministry in itself. Whatever it is, we do not have the permission to waste a gift which the Spirit has endowed upon us.
Principle #2
Gifts from the Spirit when exercised grow the community.
The Greek word for “gift” is charisma, and the root word for charisma is charis, which means “grace”. Hence, when the apostle Paul wrote, “But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it (Ephesians 4:7),” he meant to remind us that all believers are given spiritual gifts by Christ. There is no Christian without a spiritual endowment.
Paul continued, “Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up” (Ephesians 4:11–12). Here, we learn that church growth happens when all community members exercise their Christ-given gifts together. Those who are gifted to teach ought to teach, and those who are gifted to serve in other ways ought to serve.
Once we appreciate the above principle, we would be circumspect about trying to build the church by employing more staff to do more work on our behalf. Increased ecclesiastical activity may grow the organization, but it will not grow the community.
The biblical strategy, rather, is the encouragement of all members of the community to cherish their God-given gifts and to exercise them accordingly. Only when every part of the body is activated will the body of Christ become fully functional.
“There is no such thing as being more or less gifted than another. All persons are gifted with a fullness of grace, though that grace takes different manifestations in particular individuals. Still the grace is the same.” –Marva Dawn
Principle #3
Gifts from the Spirit ought to be honored by the community.
Every spiritual gift is given for a purpose. Hence, church leaders in particular should be sensitive to the unique fingerprint of God in each believer and empower each person to develop his or her own gifts.
Leaders are called to be shepherds, not managers. We do not have permission to use people to serve our selfish purpose of organizational growth. Instead, we should ask God how He would like us to weave His myriad of gifts to our community into a tapestry that will display His glory.
In other words, we grow the local church by mobilizing the gifts which God has planted among us, and not by uncritically replicating the growth methods of other churches, no matter how successful they may be in their context.
If churches are grown with a keen eye on the kind of gifts available within our communities, we will be surprised by the creativity of God. Every local church will be one-of-a-kind. And as God brings all His churches together, we will be like the beautiful meadow in spring, blooming with a breath-taking splash of a thousand flowers!
So, may I ask what your spiritual gifts are? Have your gifts been well invested for the Lord’s profit? If you sincerely do not know what your gifts are, may I recommend that you consult a mature brother- or sister-in-Christ who knows you well? Those who interact with you regularly will certainly be able to identify your gifts with considerable accuracy. Do whatever you can to develop and deploy your gifts. Only do not fritter them away.
May you and your church enjoy bountiful returns as you serve God and others faithfully with your spiritual endowments!
Think through:
- What are some gifts you have observed within your community? What are some undiscovered gifts among you?
- How are they a blessing to others and to the building up of the church?
Excerpted and adapted from Together Alive: Rediscovering Community Living in God’s Family by Lam Kuo Yung, published by Our Daily Bread Publishing
Read Also:
Together Alive! Rediscovering Community Living in God’s Family
Many modern societies and churches seem to have lost the art of living in a community. We live, worship, work, and play as nuclear families, independent and alone. Yet Christians are called to live as a united body of Christ.
How can we plug back into the biblical community? How can we share and support each other? Turn the pages of Together Alive!, and rediscover the lost art of living, growing, and preaching in community.
Our Daily Bread Ministries in Indonesia is supported by the freewill offering of individuals in Indonesia, who through their gifts enable us to continue to bring the life-changing wisdom of the Bible to many here. We are not funded by any church or organisation.
