Romans 12:6
"We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us..."
What directs your mind?
To what do you look for guidance and active inspiration?
What do you look for in yourself. What do you care about? What regulates your innermost thoughts and spirit? How does that inner-person correspond with your outward behaviors. How are your personal opinions and attitudes being fleshed out in your actions?
These are the kinds of things that someone examines in and of themselves when they want to find their purposeful life in Christ. This isn't to say that we are meant to determine our theology based upon our experiences, we can only discover that from the Word of God. But what this is saying is that the searching of our visceral and cognitive aspects of our thinking, and our heart, are meant to be sincerely discovered so that we can best know how The Holy Spirit has gifted us and sent us. This is Phronéō, to have a sobering opinion of oneself, seeking to be personified in the active pursuit of spiritual fulfillment. It is like the fleshing out of one's heart with the intent of promoting God's will and not merely our own feelings and personal aspirations.
I believe every child of God must take this journey of self-discovery in order to find their purpose in the church body. This isn't about finding your conversion, that's an instant state of being that should have already taken place before you've taken this phronéō journey. This isn't about existentialism. This is a search into your genuine innermost potential in Christ.
You're already gifted. It's there, your gift, it's waiting on you. And it's important that you examine yourself carefully to learn how the Holy Spirit has changed you for service in the body of Christ.
And it is a change. When you were converted you were changed. Activated within you was a change in your spirit, mind, and heart. That changing heart energy is now attempting to active your flesh, and your strength. And that God given inner strength is your Holy Spirit giftedness. It is this energetic changing power that enables you to have the same mindset as Christ Jesus, and to operate in that power.
Did you know that?
Did you know that at your conversion, a spiritual energetic force was created in you?
And that power is, "the measure of faith God has given you" to activate your specific proportions of the many spiritual gifts. You have some proportion of each, to one degree or another. And typically, we all have a greater measure of one or two special abilities among the church body parts. These special abilities are both our spiritual focus and the specific attributes and influences that guides the expression of all the gifts within us.
So, what does that mean?
It means that not every Pastor is a prophet. Not every teacher is an evangelist. Not every generous caregiver is an administrator. Each of us is gifted in some unique measure of all the spiritual gifts in order to best manifest the Spirit in our particular experience and sphere of influence.
A pastor who is heavily influenced by the spiritual gift of administration is going to serve his church very much differently than a pastor who is heavily influenced by the spiritual gifts of exhortation and prophecy. Both are perfect in their respective roles in the body of Christ. None is greater or lesser.
And a caregiving servant who is heavily influenced by the spiritual gifts of teaching and exhortation is going to serve their church in a very different role than the caregiver who is mainly influenced by the gifts of compassion as a loving nurturing counselor. Each teaches in the body. Each serves in the body. Each needs to manifest those specific natures and blends of their gifts in a ministry that suits and nurtures that measure of their spiritual gifts.
The church body is not one size fits all. The Holy Spirit did not measure out a cookie cutter spiritual blessing when it poured out onto the church. That pouring out flowed over many different people who all had very different experiences, and yet are unified in one body. They must be unified. In fact, they cannot be divided in their purpose or in their expression, and still be in Christ. An arm cannot crawl off and serve alone, apart from the body. A foot cannot walk wherever it wants without the eyes to guide it. And a hand cannot reach out to serve without the brain to instruct and direct its way.
We are all one body.
If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy...
If it is serving, then serve...
If it is teaching, then teach...
If it is to encourage, then give encouragement...
If it is giving, then give generously...
If it is to lead, do it diligently...
If it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully...
Whatever your heart is telling you to do, do it in Christ according to the measure of The Holy Spirit. Do it in love, in mercy, in goodness, and with no hatred except to hate all evil. Love one another as one body in Christ. Help each other to achieve the same goals. Help each other in the phronéō search. Some will have the gift of discernment; they can be of great help in guiding a new life in Christ in finding its place among the body.
All that we do in Christ must be sincere, actively seeking, and done in love, because it will be tested. And the only way to overcome that temptation is to know your heart.
I believe you're best served if you ask your community of believers, people who know you best on a personal level, what they think about you and your spiritual gifts. Counseling with a Pastor, a person gifted with discernment, and people you've been inspired by will help you discover your gifts.
And you can try an online assessment:
https://spiritualgiftstest.com/
To maybe gain some perspective about how you experience your gifts.
God bless you and keep you in the zeal of your faith, alive and well by finding your role in the body of Christ.
Amen.
#spiritualawakening #TheBodyOfChrist