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February 01, 2007
FROM THE COUCH
This past Sunday we installed the officers of the church for 2007. As I watched the officers of the consistory and women’s ministry take their vows, I couldn’t help but thank God for the unique gifts that I see in each one. As I looked out on each face in the congregation, I was equally grateful. If you read 1 Corinthians 12:4-7, you will see that there are a variety of different spiritual gifts, but it is the same Spirit who gives each of them. There are many different ways of serving God, but it is the same Lord who is served. God works through each person in a unique way, and His purpose is always accomplished through each work. And each of us is given a gift of the Spirit for the common good of all. That’s right – God has blessed you with a wonderful supernatural gift that is to be used to bring Him glory and to strengthen the body. Though we are each gifted in unique ways, each gift is equally important and necessary to the well being of the whole (1 Corinthians 12:15-26). Paul mentions several of these “unique” gifts in the Scriptures. In 1 Corinthians 12 he mentions some charismatic gifts, such as prophecy, healing, miracles, and tongues. He also mentions the gifts of administration and teaching. In Romans 12, he adds the gifts of encouragement, giving to meet the needs of others, mercy, and hospitality. Another important gift that he doesn’t mention is intercessory prayer.
Though each of these “unique” gifts is equally important to the church, Paul does set apart three gifts that we should all earnestly seek. He calls them “greater” gifts. They are the gifts of faith, hope, and love (1 Corinthians 13:13). While the other gifts are unique, faith, hope and love are common to everyone who belongs to Christ. With faith we can let go and trust Christ to be the shepherd of our lives, committing to Him our marriages, our children, our jobs and finances, our health, and our very souls. With hope, we can face today with a view toward eternity, knowing that Christ is coming and final victory over sin, death, and the schemes of the devil is sure. And with love, we have the greatest gift imaginable. With love, all of our other gifts work as they were designed to work. But without love, our other gifts aren’t worth much at all (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).
I’m thankful that God has given you a unique gift to use for God’s glory and the building-up of the church. I’m also thankful that He has given each of you the “greater” gifts of faith, hope, and love. May the love of Christ which lives in you bring power and meaning to your lives this week. May you exercise your gifts in love, and may we all be strengthened as Christ works in and through you!
Pastor Steve
Posted by Jennifer Herrmann at February 1, 2007 03:36 PM