“Unwrapping Our Gifts”
I Corinthians 12:1-11 & Matthew 25:14-30
Preached on January 1, 2006
by
Rev. Dr. Virginia Smith
At The Presbyterian Church in Morristown |
I love receiving gifts. And this is especially true when I have no idea what is inside. Then, after I unwrap the gift, I get particular enjoyment out of imagining how I am going to use the gift, or perhaps learn to use it.
One of my sons is particularly good at giving me very practical and useful gifts. I remember the time he gave me an electronic foot bath and massager to help me with my “aching feet.” Then there was the abdominal exerciser for my “flabby stomach.”
But I must admit that the primary reason I like gifts is that they are free. All I have to do is receive them, unwrap them, and enjoy them!
Giving gifts has always been a crucial part of the Christian faith. Right from the very beginning we see the Wise Men coming to visit the newly-born Jesus and his parents, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh—gifts appropriate for a king.
And why shouldn’t they? God had given to the world the greatest gift of all—God’s son—to be the savior, redeemer, and Lord of all the earth. Freely given!
In fact, all of God’s gifts are freely given. We can’t earn them. We can’t get them as a reward. And as with any gift freely given, it is the giver who decides what gift he/she will give.
All Christians have been baptized and have been given at least one spiritual gift by the power of God’s Holy Spirit. God provides the gifts necessary to do what God needs us to do in practical ways through the Church in any given situation. And one of the responsibilities of the church is to help each person discover, develop, and deploy or use their God-given gifts for the glory of God.
According to Thomas Hawkins in his book Claiming God’s Promises: A Guide to Discovering Our Spiritual Gifts:
"Paul’s belief that God gives spiritual gifts for ministry developed from one fundamental conviction: God’s ultimate spiritual gift has already been given in Jesus’ death and resurrection. Acceptance of this saving gift opens up the possibility of life in the Spirit.”
These gifts that God gives are more than our talents and abilities. Talents tend to serve the person who possesses them, as in hobbies and careers. Spiritual gifts are other-directed. Spiritual gifts give us our unique identity as a member of Christ’s body, the Church. It is important to understand that they are not given to us. They are given through us. As with any gift we are given, we can’t order it. All we can do is receive it in the spirit in which it was given – in love.
Since these gifts are our spiritual job description, it is essential that we discover what our gifts are so we can serve as God has called us to serve. This makes sense. What do you normally do when you receive a gift? Unwrap it to find out what it is. As baptized Christians we received at least one spiritual gift and it is our responsibility to find out what it is.
This is where most people get stuck because most don’t know how to go about finding their gifts. All too often it is a hit-or-miss process with many taking on responsibilities in the life of the church for which they have not been gifted. They feel frustrated, stressed, angry, and often drop out.
Trying to serve in the Church in a responsibility for which we are not gifted is like putting a square peg in a round hole. It doesn’t fit. It doesn’t work. And if people are not doing the work for which they have been spiritually gifted, the Church goes limping along and is ineffective in its ministry for Jesus Christ.It is incumbent on every church to give all its members the opportunity to discover their spiritual gifts, their gifts for ministry, so that as Peter notes, “They may be used for the glory of God.” This is why, with the support of the Membership Involvement Committee of session, I have been working with a group of people guiding them in discovering their spiritual gifts. It has been an exciting six to seven weeks. And I will be working with a team of people from the first class who have the gift of teaching the faith and nurturing leadership to offer another class on a Friday evening and Saturday to those who can’t come during the week.
It is our responsibility as Christians to make this discovery, and we expect to have a process in place in the very near future to help us to do this so that this congregation as Christ’s Church can be strong, healthy, and growing. In addition to discovering our gifts, we will also be learning how we can exercise and develop these gifts.
I can remember getting my first two-wheeler bike at the age of six. What a thrill to see it parked right next to the Christmas tree, to touch it, to walk it around the living room, and then take it outside. But the bike would have been of no use if I hadn’t learned how to ride it.
Using God’s gifts wisely is actually a case of good stewardship. Jesus tells us the parable about a man who when he was going on a journey called his servants together and gave them each some of his property. One received five coins; another two; and another one. Those who received the five and two coins used them resourcefully and wisely. The third one buried his single coin in the ground. When the master returned, he asked for an accounting of what the servants had done with the coins he had given them. While he was very pleased with the first two who used their coins wisely, he was so displeased with the third that he took away the one talent that the servant had.
The parable’s ending seems unfair, but when we think about it, this is exactly what happens in our lives. When we fail to use our natural abilities we lose them. If we stop exercising even for a few weeks, our muscle tone deteriorates. When we don’t use it, we lose it!
The same principle applies to our spiritual gifts. When we don’t use them, we lose them. Every Christian receives a spiritual gift through the power of the Holy Spirit. There isn’t one of us who hasn’t been given a gift for ministry in Christ’s Church!
We are to work together. A pastor isn’t the only one who teaches, evangelizes, and shares the good news of Jesus Christ. It takes all of us to do that. In Paul’s day, the titles “apostles,” “prophets,” and “pastors” did not refer to ordained ministers as we know them today. Paul was talking about individuals like you who were called and gifted for ministry.
Paul’s list of spiritual gifts includes wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, the working of miracles, prophecy, discernment of spirits, tongues, and interpretation of tongues. In addition the New Testament lists serving, teaching, giving, leading, and showing mercy. Each of us has something to contribute; and we dishonor God when we fail to do our part and render Christ’s Church less effective in its ministry to the world.
What do you do when you receive a gift? Toss it aside? Ignore it? Use it once and discard it? Sometimes we are nothing more than packages containing gifts that are waiting to be unwrapped. As I look out at all of you here today, I see an abundance of incredible God-given gifts waiting to be used for the glory of God.
Lest you be afraid that your gift isn’t a very important gift, remember—there are no greater or lesser gifts. Each is important. As the old gospel hymn, There Is a Balm in Gilead, tells us: “If you can’t preach like Peter, if you can’t pray like Paul, just tell the love of Jesus, and say he died for all.”
There’s the story told about a pastor who couldn’t sing a note. She took some ribbing about it. No one wanted to stand near her when the congregation was singing hymns. But she was an outstanding pastor, and her caring and compassion were obvious. One day when some folks were joking about her lack of vocal ability, one person interrupted: “You might not want to stand by her when she sings, but I sure want her to stand by me when I’m hurting.”
Perhaps we’ve wrapped up our gifts and put them aside or buried them like the one-talent servant in Jesus’ parable. We may need to be reminded as Paul reminded Timothy: “Do not neglect the gift that is in you. . .” When we fail to discover, unwrap, and use our gifts, we are depriving ourselves the opportunity to be all God has created us to be and depriving God of a return on God’s divine investment.
What good news! Each of us has a special calling for which God has given us spiritual gifts. And it is our responsibility to discover them, develop them, and deploy or use them so that, when we come face-to-face with God at the end of our lives here on earth, we will hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
AMEN
