Momma Nan's Insights on "Understanding Spiritual Gifts" - Week One

Here I sit at the computer knowing I must write, but not knowing what is going to come out on this email.  Without going any further in this study, I am quite sure I have been given the gift of lots of words, but I'm not sure if I have been given the gift of how to put them on paper without rambling on and on.  (For those of you who don't know me, that was an attempt at humor.)

 

First of all, I want to say that I have done a few in-depth studies on Spiritual Gifts, but the more I study, the more I am blown away by how we can never learn it all.  I tickles me to no end that a simple mind like mine can actually search the deep things of God!  Think about that.  We don't have to have a college degree (something I never got), we don't have to be brilliant engineers (like my husband) or even great thinkers (I can't even remember half of the things I read) - all we have to do is seek the scriptures and have is a willing, teachable heart.  God told Jeremiah that when he seeks Him, he will find Him, when he seeks Him with all his heart (Jeremiah 29:13)!

 

So, here I start with Week One of Understanding Spiritual Gifts.  I am going to start on page 1 and read through my answers and note here anything that spoke to me that I feel would be beneficial to a group discussion.  This is my first attempt at a Precept study on my own, so help me out, okay?

 

I loved how this study started out with Peter's words on our special gift(s).  Most of the things I have studied have been Paul's teachings, but as I read through 1 Peter, I couldn't help but think of how much I love Peter and identify with him.  He was a simple person whose life was turned upside down by Jesus Christ!  After all of his time with Jesus, and as much as he loved Jesus, he was actually able to deny Him three times. In all of my great passion and love for Jesus, I realize I can never say never would I do that, for I wonder if I could ever love Him as much as Peter did!???

 

So Peter is writing to these early church members warning them of persecution and what is ahead.  These people were living under the rule of Nero.  I wondered how that could apply to me today, because I don't really think I have someone wanting to burn me at the stake.  However, I thought about my early days of Christianity (which has been over 12-1/2 years), and what division there was within my own family because of my newly found beliefs.  To this day, I have siblings who do not speak to me because I am different than I used to be, and to me, it feels like persecution. 

 First Peter 4:10 is a good and fresh reminder to me that in the midst of my own every day life - today in 2010, I have a special gift, given to me by Jesus Christ when I put my faith and trust in Him 12-1/2 years ago! 

Jes is right in that it is important for us to view the gifts God has given us with the same importance He does.  We must know for a fact that we all have one!

 

Peter divided the gifts into two categories - speaking and serving.  I thought, can I have more than one gift?  Can I have one from both categories?  Can I have a gift now, but God changes it to something else later?  And when He changes it, if He does, will I just get another gift added on, or will I lose that first gift completely?  I cannot lose my salvation - so can I lose my gift?  Is it possible that I could actually have a gift and not know it?  In the same way, could I think I have a gift, but I'm actually performing in my own power (say, in an area where I have a natural ability) and not in the Spirit? If I am good at something, does that mean it's my gift?  Would God lead me to a church where there were lots of people with my gift, or would He place me somewhere where that gift is particularly needed?  And so forth.  I can hardly wait to see how He answers these questions!

 

When we get to Acts 6:1-6, we learn that the twelve realized they needed helpers (servers) so they could themselves concentrate on the ministry of the word.  I wonder if this is why many people believe that serving is a lesser gift than speaking - because they were serving "the speakers."  In fact, this was not what they were doing.  They were serving "the body."  I loved reading about Stephen in this context (of spiritual gifts).  When I think of Stephen, I think of him being the first martyr of the church.  I love now thinking of him as a server, and it makes me want to be a server too! 

 

On page 8, under OBSERVE it says, "In Chapter 3 he specifically wrote about the fact that faith in Christ brings unity to radically different people groups. . ."  I remember when my husband and I were new Christians, we were walking out of church one day, in sheer delight of the wonderfulness of it all.  The people were all so nice and we really liked them and they seemed to really like us!  (This is funny to me thinking back on it.)  Ed said to me, "We are all so different, but we all really like each other!"  We had no clue at that early stage in our walk with Christ, about the unity of the believers - that we are all unified through the Spirit of the Living God! 

 

I absolutely loved this in Ephesians 4:4-6!  I made my semicircle over the word one and my stick figure over the word body. Then I read the question, "what did you learn from marking one in verses 4-6?"  Well, I LOVE NUMBERS!  So the first thing I did is count how many times the word one is mentioned - and it is mentioned SEVEN times!  Seven times!  Seven!  I have read that in the Bible, the number SEVEN symbolizes God's COMPLETION, His perfection, His sovereignty and His holiness! 

 

And for the COMPLETION of what I'm commenting on today, I loved Ephesians 4:8-13!  I have this picture in my mind of Jesus leading us all (as captives set free) - and we are ascending on high - I'm thinking we are going to heaven - and we have gifts He has given us (I'm actually visualizing us holding wrapped packages with bows) . . . to equip us . . . until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.  That sounds like COMPLETENESS to me!

 

Love you all and praying someone else will join us in this! 

 

Janan

Momma Nan and I are Studying Spiritual Gifts - Won't You Join Us?

You may remember that a few weeks ago Momma Nan won a copy of the new Precept Ministries 40 Minute Bible Studies titled "Understanding Spiritual Gifts."


She and I have decided to work through the study together (but apart) and then come here and share what has most impacted our hearts from each week's time with the Lord.


Here is your fair warning though...these posts may be considered as 
*Spoilers*!!!


So if you're planning on doing the study yourself, you might want to work through the given week, and then come back and read what we've written and join the discussion by sharing your own insights in the comments section.


Here's the book. Just click here and you can order your own copy directly from Precept.

I'll go first. Not because it's my blog, but because Momma Nan told me I had to, and I generally try to do most of what she tells me to.   :0)


When she sends me her thoughts, I'll do an update and add them right into the body of the post instead of having her put them into the comments section.

Here we go...


Week One:


In the introduction section of week one, this sentence really jumped out at me: 


"All of us, as Christ followers should be working together to strengthen the body, to produce unity, to be lights shining in the darkness, and to bring glory to God."


The Precept student in me just so wants to structure this sentence, or at the least make a list from it! In fact, I'm not going to be able to resist! 


So here it is:


All of us, as Christ followers should be working together 
to strengthen the body
to produce unity
to be lights shining in the darkness
and
to bring glory to God.


Think about that for a minute. 


Really let each of those soak in.


Are we working together? 


Within your church are you seeking to work with the other members of your body, or are you wanting the praise for your serving, for your teaching, for your leadership?


Is your sole goal to strengthen the body? 


From personal experience I have learned that when this is my goal, to see my sisters in Christ strengthened in Him, I don't have to be concerned about whether I'm impressive or not.
My goal isn't me, it's them....their walks with God, their marriages, their families, their use of their God given gifts.


Whew! 


In my opinion when our goal is to strengthen the body, the next just naturally flows out...producing unity. 


And when we use our God given gifts to serve Him and others, we are lights shining in the darkness! 


Looking at the last part of the statement, we must ask ourselves, "Am I using this precious gift that God has entrusted me with to bring glory to Him, or am I abusing the gift by trying to bring glory to myself?"


Hmmm....questions that make you go hmmmm.


May these questions lead us down upon our faces to ask the Almighty to...


"Search me, O God, and know my heart; 
 Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
 And see if there be any hurtful way in me,
 And lead me in the everlasting way." Psalm 139:23-24


As I dug into the Scriptures for week one, right off the bat I was tendered to just how vitally important it is to God that we view the gifts that He has given us as He does.


1 Peter 4:10-11


As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.


Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; 
whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies;
so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.


These verses make it clear to me that each of us, every single person who has put their faith in Jesus Christ alone for their salvation...not as a result of works, so that no one may boast (Ephesians 2:9)...every redeemed child of God is given a gift by Him and for Him.


What are we to do with it?


Do you see that command in the first sentence?


It's not optional is it? We've been given clear direction as to what we're to do with the special gift we've received!


I also see that the gifts fall into two categories:
speaking
and
serving


Do you see what we are stewards of in our gifts?


Wow! 


The manifold grace of God!


I also love that this verse is like a 2x4 between the eyes to those of us who have a speaking gift. God is not subtle here. 


No bones about it....when we speak, it is to be as one who is speaking the utterances of God! No glory to the speaker in that, is there?


That reminds me of Christ when He said, "Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works." (John 14:10)


He is a clear example for those of us with a speaking gift. The same can be shown from other verses for those with a serving gift. 


Christ is our role model in how to use our gifts for the benefit of others!


And if one serves, they are to do so not of their own strength. Why does this make so much sense?


Think about those who have the gift of serving. They will often serve and serve and serve until the break. 


Yet the Word is making it clear to us that the one who serves is to do so by the strength that God provides!


God knows when we need a rest, and He will not push the one who serves until they break.


Nor should we! As a body, we need to be sensitive to these precious saints who serve. We need to protect them, and make sure that they aren't always serving, but that they are also being ministered to.


I'm sure you can think of people in your church who are always seen serving, but rarely seen in a Bible study or in worship service.


This is wrong, and we as their brothers and sisters in Christ need to step up! We need to love them enough to encourage them to stop and sit at the Master's feet.


The next section of the book looks at Acts 6:1-6. In this passage, I was reminded of how vitally important it is that we as a body make room for our pastors to do what God has called them to do...preach and teach the Word of God!


Our pastors have been called with a gift of speaking. While it may be nice to have them show up at every hospital bed and to see them behind the food line serving sloppy joes on church supper night, that is NOT what they've been called for!


They need to have time and space to be in the Word of God, studying and preparing to present the Word to us in Spirit and in Truth. 


They simply cannot have that time if we expect them to be serving at every turn. Theirs are not serving gifts, theirs are speaking gifts.


And how is one who speaks to do so? 


That's right! You saw it in the above verse, didn't you?


Shouldn't that put some fear and trembling into those who speak? Wouldn't they (our pastors, Sunday school teachers, and Bible study leaders) desperately need time to seek the Father before they ever address the flock?


Let's give it to them! 


If you have a gift of serving, you need to plug in at your church and serve! Pray and ask the Lord to make it clear to you where you are to do so, and don't overload yourself. Lift each need of serving before Him, and He will make your paths straight. :)


If your gift is a serving gift, I encourage you to resist taking the role as a speaker. Just because those with speaking gifts are usually more out front, it doesn't mean their position in serving the church is more important. 


Those of us with speaking gifts are LOST without those of you who serve! We NEED your gifts, we CHERISH you gifts! We can't use our gift to it's utmost without YOU helping us!


I think of my precious friend Davina, who was the administrator of our Precept class for several years. She could read my thoughts, and knew my needs before I mentioned them. She kept me on track, and thus she blessed the entire class because I was able to be so much more productive as a teacher because of her.


I dearly love and appreciate her, and am praying for one just like her in my new church. :)


If you have a speaking gift, start praying now and asking the Lord to show you where and when He'd have you employ it. Don't accept every serving position that comes your way...wait upon the Lord that you might use your gift of speaking to edify the body, and trust that He will fill those serving positions as He sees fit.


There is more to week one, but these are the parts that really pierced my heart the most. 


Now it's Momma Nan's turn.


Remember, if you are doing the study too, we'd love to have you share you comments!


So much love to each of you today, in Christ Jesus!
Jes