Thursday, Nov. 24

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Thursday

Charles Burnham "Bud" Wilkinson was an American football player, coach, broadcaster, and politician. He won three national championships and 14 conference titles as the head football coach for the University of Oklahoma in the 1950s.  After coaching Bud served as the chairman of the President’s Council for physical fitness during the Johnson administration. Someone once asked Wilkinson what role professional football had played in America’s physical fitness.  Wilkinson responded with these words, “Absolutely none. In football you have 22 players on the field desperately in need of rest being cheered on by 50,000 spectators in the stands desperately in need of exercise!” Unfortunately, that is true in many local churches. Too many Christians view the church this way, the members see the pastoral staff as the “players” in ministry but view themselves as merely spectators. If the church is doing well, the members cheer. If the church begins to decline, the cheers quickly turn to jeers. That may make for exciting football, but it is a lousy way to run a church. Paul says God’s pattern for the church is that every member be involved in ministry.

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.  – 1 Corinthians 12:7-11

Let me give you three things that this passage tells us you must do in regards to your spiritual gift.  First, you must discover what spiritual gift or gifts the Holy Spirit has given you. The Greek word for “gift” is charisma, from which we get our English words charisma and charismatic.  The charis part of the word means “grace.” The ma portion of the word is a suffix meaning a grace that it is given. They are “grace gifts” that enable a person to glorify and serve God. These grace gifts are not earned; they are not the result of hard work; they are not even ones we choose for ourselves. And they may, or may not, be related to our natural skill set.  Remember, God has not gifted you to do what you think you should do; He has gifted you to do what He wants you to do.  The grace gift(s) that God has chosen in His sovereignty to grant you are expressions of His love.  In the exercise of your spiritual gift from God you will find fulfillment.

Second, you must plug into ministry and get busy serving somewhere.  Jesus died to give you the gift (charisma) of eternal life, but He also died so that you could serve Him with your spiritual gift (charisma).  When you and I fail to do this, we fail to carry out one of the purposes in His death.  God has given you a spiritual gift to benefit others around you.  That is why it is really a tragedy if you don’t know what your spiritual gift is, if you’re not in the process of finding out what it is, or if you’re not using your gift for the body.

Third, you must depend upon God for the results.  The Holy Spirit is responsible for the results.  That means that we don’t produce anything, we can only use our gifts and trust the rest to God.  It takes a great weight off of us when we are trying to serve the Lord in ministry.  What we are called to do is to be faithful in exercising our gifts in the places where Christ directs us. Then God takes full responsibility for the eternal impact.  So let’s get out of the stands, stop being spectators and start playing our part for God’s team!

Jeff Frazier