What Gifts?

How should we be using the gifts we were given?

Each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore it is said, "When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive; he gave gifts to his people." The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people's trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body's growth in building itself up in love. - Ephesians 4:7-8,11-16

In order to answer the question about using our gifts, we need to first recognize that we have them, and then what they are.

Paul gives us a hint at this, telling us that the thing we have been called to do is an indicator, but is that the only one?

We may not realize we have a gift for something until the time we are called or challenged to use that gift.

We don't start out in life as a pastor, teacher, evangelist or prophet, right?  So are those gifts we have from birth and they have to be developed, or are we granted them later on, when we are ready to answer that call?

I like the idea that the gift is something we get when we are ready.  That means we are all capable of being or doing anything.

Abram was an old man when he was visited by the messengers of God.

So, even if we have done nothing special our whole lives, there is still a chance, a very real chance, that God will call us to do or be something special.

That could be good news, but it could also be scary.

Just when you think you have done all there is to do in life, along comes God bearing gifts.

I guess we had better be ready for that.

More to come...