ONE BODY, MANY MEMBERS
1 CORINTHIANS 12:1-31
NASB
1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware. 2 You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led. 3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking [a]by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is [b]accursed”; and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except [a]by the Holy Spirit.
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. 6 There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. 7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; 9 to another faith [a]by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of [b]healing [a]by the one Spirit, 10 and to another the [a]effecting of [b]miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the [c]distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.
12 For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For [a]by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
14 For the body is not one member, but many. 15 If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason [a]any the less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason [a]any the less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. 19 If they were all one member, where would the body be? 20 But now there are many members, but one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, [a]it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; 23 and those members of the body which we [a]deem less honorable, [b]on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, 24 whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, 25 so that there may be no [a]division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is [a]honored, all the members rejoice with it.
27 Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it. 28 And God has [a]appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then [b]miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues. 29 All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of [a]miracles, are they? 30 All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they? 31 But earnestly desire the greater gifts.
And I show you a still more excellent way.
12:3 [a]Or in [b]Gr anathema 12:9 [a]Or in [b]Lit healings 12:10 [a]Lit effects [b]Or works of power [c]Lit distinguishings 12:13 [a]Or in 12:15 [a]Lit not a part 12:16 [a]Lit not a part 12:22 [a]Lit to a much greater degree the members 12:23 [a]Or think to be [b]Or these we clothe with 12:25 [a]Lit schism 12:26 [a]Lit glorified 12:28 [a]Lit set some in [b]Or works of power 12:29 [a]Or works of power
NLT
1 Now, dear brothers and sisters,[*] regarding your question about the special abilities the Spirit gives us. I don’t want you to misunderstand this. 2 You know that when you were still pagans, you were led astray and swept along in worshiping speechless idols. 3 So I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus, and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.
4 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. 5 There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. 6 God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.
7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. 8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice[*]; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge.[*] 9 The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. 10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages,[*] while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. 11 It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.
12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. 13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles,[*] some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.[*]
14 Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. 15 If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?
18 But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. 19 How strange a body would be if it had only one part! 20 Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. 21 The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”
22 In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. 23 And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, 24 while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. 25 This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. 26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.
27 All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. 28 Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church:
first are apostles,
second are prophets,
third are teachers,
then those who do miracles,
those who have the gift of healing,
those who can help others,
those who have the gift of leadership,
those who speak in unknown languages.
29 Are we all apostles? Are we all prophets? Are we all teachers? Do we all have the power to do miracles? 30 Do we all have the gift of healing? Do we all have the ability to speak in unknown languages? Do we all have the ability to interpret unknown languages? Of course not! 31 So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts.
But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all.
[12:1] Greek brothers. [12:8a] Or gives a word of wisdom. [12:8b] Or gives a word of knowledge. [12:10] Or in various tongues; also in 12:28, 30. [12:13a] Greek some are Greeks. [12:13b] Greek we were all given one Spirit to drink.
Have you ever experienced a performance of Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, or Handel’s Messiah? I don’t mean having Bach’s intricate notes tickle your ears through tiny white ear buds, or Beethoven’s bold crescendos rattle the windows of your den, or Handel’s moving “Hallelujah Chorus” sanctify your car stereo. That would be listening to the music; I mean experiencing it.
There is a major difference between listening to a recording of Mozart on your home stereo and experiencing it live at the symphony hall. The notes may be the same, but our awareness of the conductor, the members of the orchestra, and the distinct movements and sounds of various instruments is completely lost when we passively hear a recording of the sounds. There is something about seeing the music happen that creates a sense of wonder and exhilaration. Rather than thinking of the music as a technically satisfying product, we experience it as a profoundly human work of art.
At the symphony, you witness the entire orchestra assembled as a whole. When you gaze at the black-tied conductor, it appears as though he is conjuring up the music from another world, like a magician in The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. Yet when you pan across the stage and see the passionate labor of the individual and gifted musicians, you realize that whatever inspiration may appear to be summoned by that “magic wand” of the conductor, the perspiration of the artists creates the beautiful sounds that fill the concert hall. Though the individual musician plays a vital role in the symphony, only when they all perform together as a harmonious body can we fully experience the scope, breadth, and depth of the symphonic music.
Similarly, understanding how spiritual gifts work melodiously in a church body takes more than just listening to the harmony the members make when tuned in to their gifts. It takes seeing each member of the church as an essential individual instrument, vital to the whole body. And it takes an appreciation for the work of the Great Conductor —the Holy Spirit —who gifts and guides each individual and the body according to His will and according to His purpose: the building up of the body of Christ.
In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul provides a solid understanding of spiritual gifts. He focuses not so much on the details of each gift, but on how and why the gifts together produce a full, real-life sound. When believers practice the gifts properly, the rich, harmonious sound that results glorifies God as the Lord’s people build up one another in love.
— 12:1-3 —
Paul ends his instructions concerning the proper observance of the Lord’s Supper with the words, “The remaining matters I will arrange when I come” (11:34). He gave them just enough details to answer their questions and solve their current crisis, and he anticipated offering further instruction in person during a future visit. Paul now moves on to the next area of controversy and conflict in Corinth: the proper attitude toward and practice of spiritual gifts. He begins with a phrase he uses repeatedly for a sharp transition to a completely new topic: “Now concerning” (12:1).[63]
Regarding the subject of spiritual gifts, Paul didn’t want anybody in Corinth to shrug their shoulders and say, “I don’t really know much about that, and I don’t really care.” Paul marks the importance of the issue by saying he doesn’t want the believers to be “unaware” or ignorant. Paul believed it is vital for Christians to have the right knowledge of spiritual gifts, understanding how they are to function in the lives of each believer and, more importantly, in the life of the church community.
Paul then contrasts the dimness of the Corinthians’ former understanding as pagans with the light of the Spirit they have experienced as believers in Christ (12:2-3). Before they were saved, they were without the Spirit, who is the solution to our ignorance and the source of true knowledge. In their former lost condition, they served dumb, powerless idols out of ignorance —the depraved spiritual capacity of all men and women who lack the eye-opening grace of the Holy Spirit’s regenerating power. But now, as believers who have been enabled by the indwelling Spirit to confess Jesus as “Lord” (12:3), they no longer reject Christ, but accept Him for Who He really is: the Savior and Lord.
— 12:4-11 —
Having urged the Corinthians to continue to grow in knowledge, Paul begins to instruct them concerning the theory behind the practice of spiritual gifts (charisma [5486]). The problem in Corinth was not that they were ignorant of the presence of spiritual gifts, but that they were unspiritual and extreme in their application. They knew that they had been given spiritual gifts, but they did not know how to properly utilize them.
To illustrate the specific problem in Corinth, let me use an analogy. Like a dozen musicians each having mastered a different instrument, the Corinthians gathered not to perform a harmonious symphony, but to outperform one another and argue about which instrument was the best. They showed up to show off! But anybody who has ever tried to play in an orchestra or sing in a choir knows that making beautiful, melodious music takes more than just gathering in a crowd and strumming, blowing, beating, or clanging our own instruments —or breaking out in a vocal solo —in ways that please only ourselves. It takes an understanding of the theory behind the notes and a willingness to play our parts with others for the sake of something bigger than our own individual and self-serving performance.
To correct the Corinthians’ charismatic confusion, Paul goes back to the fundamentals. He explains the source of spiritual gifts (12:4-6), the purpose of the gifts (12:7), the identity of the gifts (12:8-10), and the distribution of the gifts (12:11).
The source of spiritual gifts (12:4-6). Spiritual gifts come to believers from the triune God —Father, Son, and Holy Spirit —who, working in perfect harmony, give members of the church a “variety” of gifts and ministries.
Paul describes the diversity of spiritual gifts with the word diairesis [1243], a Greek term that implies distinctions and differences.[64] The root of this word is related to the word hairesis [139], which we translate as “heresy” or “faction.” Whereas hairesis implies a destructive faction (1 Cor. 11:19; Gal. 5:20; 2 Pet. 2:1), diairesis, in contrast, connotes a constructive variety. The Corinthians’ problem was that they were turning diairesis into hairesis —turning healthy diversity given as a gift from God into unhealthy conflict caused by the selfishness of humans. Chaos resulted.
All believers of every age must remain united on the central core of orthodox theology and practice, standing shoulder to shoulder against dangerous heresies and uniting under the essential truths of the Christian faith.[65] Christianity, however, was never meant to produce an army of clones or a franchise of copycat churches. Paul says that the one triune God creates a healthy variety of gifts, leading to a diversity of ministries, producing a panorama of results (1 Cor. 12:4-6). Notice that the entire Godhead is involved in the gift-giving. Paul likely refers to this unity and diversity of the Godhead as an example for the intended unity and diversity of the believers in Corinth.
The purpose of spiritual gifts (12:7). God has spiritually gifted each one of us. In the same way that each member of an orchestra plays a specific instrument, each member of God’s family has been given specific gifts that manifest the active presence of the Holy Spirit. The word “manifestation” means “making something evident or obvious.” When believers exercise their gifts, God’s people become tangible, evident, meaningful expressions of God’s active presence on earth.
The purpose of this diversity of gifts is to serve “the common good” (12:7). “Common good” is a translation of a word derived from the Greek verb sympherō [4851], which means “to bring together.” God never intended for us to practice and perform our spiritual instruments in insulated, soundproof rooms. He wants us to take our seats in the orchestra and, under the direction of the Spirit, make beautiful, harmonious music that builds others up.
The identity of spiritual gifts (12:8-10). Paul names several spiritual gifts present in the early church. The Corinthian church had been generously blessed with a great variety of gifts (1:7), but this list, though extensive, is not exhaustive. With merely a sampling of the kinds of gifts the Spirit bestows upon believers, Paul emphasizes repeatedly that it is the “same Spirit” who provides all of the gifts.
Based on this passage as well as a few others (Rom. 12:6-8; Eph. 4:11; 1 Pet. 4:10-11), we can observe the great diversity of gifts given to the church for its edification. These could be categorized into “support gifts” (apostleship, prophecy, evangelism, pastoring, teaching), “service gifts” (administrations, exhortation, faith, giving, helps, mercy), and “sign gifts” (discerning spirits, miracles, healings, tongues, interpretation of tongues). Paul emphasizes how these various gifts are meant to function together harmoniously for the common good.
SPIRITUAL GIFTS LISTED IN SCRIPTURE |
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Romans 12:6-8 |
1 Corinthians 12:4-11, 28 |
Ephesians 4:11 |
1 Peter 4:10-11 |
Prophecy |
Word of wisdom |
Apostles |
Speaking |
Service |
Word of knowledge |
Prophets |
Serving |
Teaching |
Faith |
Evangelists |
|
Exhorting |
Healing |
Pastors |
|
Giving |
Miracles |
Teachers |
|
Leading |
Prophecy |
||
Mercy |
Distinguishing of spirits |
||
Speaking in languages |
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Interpreting languages |
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The distribution of spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 12:11). Like a conductor who hands out the right parts of an orchestral score to the right musicians, the Holy Spirit distributes His gifts to all believers “just as He wills” (12:11). It is not true that a believer can only have one gift. Nor is it true that a believer must plead for, seek after, or earn any gift. As a matter of fact, the Holy Spirit individually distributes the gifts according to His plan and pleasure. He selects our gifts for us personally, tailoring them to our personalities and skills to be used for His glory and purposes.
EXCURSUS: GIFT, GIFTS, AND FRUIT
1 CORINTHIANS 12:7
An important biblical distinction often becomes muddled in our minds as we try to sort out what the Bible teaches about spiritual gifts. Before plunging too deeply into the topic, we need to understand the distinctions between the gift of the Spirit, the gifts from the Spirit, and the fruit of the Spirit.
The Gift of the Holy Spirit. Some passages of Scripture describe the Holy Spirit Himself as a gift to believers (e.g., Acts 2:38). Given at the moment a believing sinner places faith in Christ, the Holy Spirit comes to permanently indwell that person, uniting the believer with Christ forever. Jesus foretold the coming of the Holy Spirit this way: “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you” (John 14:16-17). That day came fifty days after Christ’s resurrection when the gathered believers were all “baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:1-4; 10:47; 11:16). This one-time, unrepeatable baptism of the Holy Spirit is the moment that the Holy Spirit Himself takes up residence within each believer. This gift can never be taken away.
The Gifts from the Holy Spirit. All believers, baptized by the Holy Spirit, have also been given spiritual gifts from the Holy Spirit. These are skills and abilities, supernatural enablement or assistance, given to benefit the body of Christ. As gifts, they cannot be earned. Paul wrote: “Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly” (Rom. 12:6). They can’t be sought after or prayed for, and they’re not awarded for faithfulness. They are distributed “to each one individually just as He [the Holy Spirit] wills” (1 Cor. 12:11).[66] Our responsibility and privilege is to exercise these gifts for the benefit of the church. Gifts from the Holy Spirit are therefore ministry-oriented and unique to each individual. Put simply, a gift from the Holy Spirit is a special skill or ability which enables each believer to contribute to the whole body of Christ with ease, joy, and effectiveness.
The Fruit of the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit manifests itself in character qualities —virtues produced from within us by the power of the indwelling Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 gives a sampling of the kinds of qualities the Spirit nurtures: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” Through His Spirit, God works in all believers to accomplish those things that please Him (Phil. 2:13).
To sum up, all believers in Jesus Christ have been baptized with the Holy Spirit and therefore have received the gift of the abiding Spirit Himself. The indwelling Spirit of God then bestows upon each individual unique spiritual gifts to exercise for the building up of the body of Christ, the church. The Spirit also nurtures within us the manifestations of His spiritual character, producing the fruit of the Spirit, which enable us to live godly, virtuous lives.
— 12:12-14 —
To drive home the need for the church to be an interdependent community growing together rather than independent practitioners growing apart, Paul likens the unity and diversity of the body of Christ to the unity and diversity of the human body (12:12). From the tops of our heads to the soles of our feet, each part of our body, though often radically diverse, is united as a whole. Likewise, every member of Christ’s church is part of the same organic, interdependent, diverse-yet-united body.
The truth of the unity of the body of Christ isn’t comparable to the unity of a man-made society like a club or human organization. Rather, a profound spiritual reality underlies the principle of unity in diversity. The Holy Spirit baptizes each individual believer into spiritual union with Christ (12:13), joining us all into one spiritual body, united to Christ as our head. According to one commentator, by referring to this common experience of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, “Paul seems . . . to be saying both that Christians are in the Holy Spirit, and that the Holy Spirit is in Christians, parallel to our being in Christ and Christ being in us.”[67]
Unfortunately, in the church today the teaching of the baptism of the Holy Spirit has become a battleground of confusion and division rather than a basis for clarity and unity. We are commanded to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:18), but being baptized by the Holy Spirit is not our responsibility. When we put our trust in Christ, the Holy Spirit baptizes us, permanently changing our membership from Satan’s family (John 8:44; 1 Jn. 3:8-10) to the family of God.[68]
— 12:15-27 —
Next Paul builds on his analogy, and with wit and humor he paints a ludicrous picture of the parts of the human body rebelling against each other. The Corinthian readers immediately would have realized that Paul was indirectly ridiculing their own behavior. Paul basically argues that if our feet and ears could speak, and if they behaved the way the Corinthian believers were behaving in the church, they would say the most outlandish things. They would feel self-conscious about their apparently insignificant roles in the body and wish they could have a more prominent function (12:15-16).
Yet Paul clarifies that just as diversity in the human body is essential to proper functioning, so also diversity in the body of Christ is essential (12:17). A creature made up of one huge ear, a single giant nose, or a bulbous floating eyeball would be absurdly useless compared to the composite body of organs with its senses of taste, touch, sight, smell, and hearing. A body cannot be comprised of one single member (12:19-20).
God didn’t create bodies that have only one function. That would make us grotesque beasts unworthy of the all-wise and all-powerful God who creates beauty, symmetry, and harmony in His creation. Similarly, God didn’t design the church to have all its members possess the same spiritual gifts, but He “placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired” (12:18). Being the head, that is His prerogative.
Only in its functional diversity can a unified body have ongoing health and genuine growth. In a healthy body of believers, all the members depend on each other and help each other function at their best. In our physical bodies, an eye may be able to see a piece of nourishing fruit, but it requires an arm to extend its reach to pluck the fruit from the tree with the fingers. Then the body requires a mouth with teeth to eat it, along with a whole host of unseen internal organs to digest the fruit so it can nourish the body. In the same way, some members of the body of Christ may seem insignificant on the surface. Consider the tiny hammer, anvil, and stirrup bones of the ear. Though tiny, they hold part of the secret to the world of hearing and balance, and the other members desperately need them. So it is in the church (12:21-24).
In 12:25-26, Paul explains why God has created us to be interdependent parts of a whole rather than independent entities. By overcoming our natural tendency toward division through mutual love and concern for one another (12:25), we exhibit God’s supernatural power and grace for the whole world to see. Jesus said, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). It’s easy to love those who are like us, to spend time with the honored, to befriend those who benefit us. It’s far more difficult to overcome our carnal contempt for the weak, our fleshly envy of the strong, and our selfish neglect of the suffering. By the work of the Holy Spirit, an otherwise disunited gathering of selfish human beings can overcome their fleshly desires and unite through humility and love.
In short, by overcoming self and embracing others through acknowledging our own neediness in the body of Christ and through contributing to the needs of others, we demonstrate to all that we are “Christ’s body, and individually members of it” (1 Cor. 12:27).
— 12:28-31 —
Finally, Paul emphasizes the spiritual side of his analogy, explaining that there is no such thing as an exclusive gift in the body of Christ. Perhaps because it was a miraculous gift that easily attracted personal attention, the gift of speaking in tongues had been overemphasized by the Corinthians. They had made it a mark of acute spirituality, without which a person’s spiritual walk was questioned. To counter this imbalance, Paul acknowledges that God has set order within the church, with the offices of the apostles, prophets, and teachers having a place of particular authority because of their role in proclaiming God’s Word (12:28). After these roles, other gifted individuals —workers of miracles and healings, helpers and administrators, and speakers of various tongues —take their place as part of a harmonious whole.
Paul points out that not all Christians are called to be apostles, prophets, and teachers, just as not all have been given the ability to work miracles, effect healings, and speak in tongues (12:29-30). Any insistence that the evidence of a person’s salvation, baptism of the Holy Spirit, or spiritual maturity requires that the individual speak in tongues flatly contradicts Paul’s rhetorical questions here. They are phrased in such a way in the Greek language that they demand a negative answer. Simply put, not all people are expected to speak in tongues.
In closing, Paul urges the Corinthians as a corporate body —and all of us today —to “earnestly desire the greater gifts” (12:31). The greater gifts, such as prophecy and teaching, effectively and directly build up the whole body of Christ. The lesser gifts, such as tongues, build up only a small part, and do so only through the indirect process of interpretation (14:1-5). In light of the fact that the purpose of all the gifts is the building up of the body, we should follow a “more excellent way” (12:31) —the way of self-sacrificial love for one another (13:1-13).
APPLICATION: 1 CORINTHIANS 12:1-31
Giving Your Gift and Glorifying the Giver
Learning music theory is never an end in itself. The goal is that it be used with a musical instrument or a voice —practiced and perfected. In response to Paul’s general principles of spiritual-gift theology, we should be both eager and equipped to put our gifts to good use. Let me share three responses to these truths regarding spiritual gifts.
First, being aware of your spiritual gifts pleases God. God wants you to know the areas in which you have been gifted. How do you discover these gifts? Your church likely has resources to help you uncover your spiritual gifts, and thankfully, you can find numerous in-print and online “spiritual gift inventories” as well. The very best way to discover spiritual gifts, however, is to get involved in ministry and see where the Spirit leads and equips. As an example, for someone who possesses the gift of mercy, showing compassion to another person is almost as natural as breathing. Likewise, gifted teachers can’t imagine themselves doing anything other than facing a group of eager learners and opening God’s Word to them. And those with a gift of giving always seek opportunities to share with others because of their generosity.
When you exercise your spiritual gift, you find yourself freed, liberated, and blessed. Rather than a chore that drains you, it’s a privilege that energizes you. Ray Stedman emphasizes this point in his book Body Life: “The exercise of a spiritual gift is always a satisfying, enjoyable experience. . . . Jesus said it was his constant delight to do the will of the one who sent him. The Father’s gift awakened his own desire and he went about doing what he intensely enjoyed doing.”[69]
Second, being willing to use your gift benefits the whole body of Christ. Knowing your gift and faithfully using that gift are two completely different things. When you use your gift, everyone is blessed. It’s true, we may sometimes feel like our contribution is insignificant, but Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 12 that this is simply wrong. Just remember, there is no part too small. You may not carry the melody or set the rhythm for the rest of the orchestra, but without your part, the sound wouldn’t be as full and harmonious. Without your part, the sounds will always be less than complete. So identify your areas of giftedness and get involved!
Third, being satisfied with your gift honors its Giver. You will never bring as much glory to God as when you are doing what He created and gifted you to do. Don’t waste time longing for gifts you don’t have or yearning for opportunities that aren’t available. Exercise the gifts you have been given and take hold of the opportunities for ministry that have been placed before you.
Yes, you could join the mass of pew-fillers who sit in their seats, fold their arms, and watch like spectators, as just 20 percent of church members actually exercise their spiritual gifts and do the work of the ministry. But when you do, you must realize that you are squandering the gifts God has given you for the purpose of building up your fellow believers. There is a part to play in the ministry that only you can play. If you refuse to use your gift, your brothers and sisters in Christ miss out on an important means of spiritual growth, and worse, your Creator is robbed of the glory He rightly deserves.