…so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. (Romans 12:5-6, NIV)
I n golf, there is scrambling and there are scrambles. The first denotes the ability of a single player to save par even though he does not hit the green in regulation. Use just one chip and one putt with regularity and we’ll call you handy at scrambling.
What’s funny, though, is that scramblers aren’t that helpful when it comes to playing a scramble. This is the format where we all hit our shots from the tee, then all move our balls to the position of the best shot among us. Then we play again from there. Because this format eliminates the big mistake, scrambles teams hit a lot of greens and don’t often need the short game prowess of a skilled scrambler.
What we have comes from God, be it a merciful heart, an encouraging tongue, a serving attitude, a teaching mind—you name it.The apostles address the fullness of God’s giftings to us. Paul wrote to Timothy of God’s servants being “equipped for every good work,” while Peter noted that we have been given “everything we need for a godly life.” So I ask you, were they speaking of solo acts or concert choirs? When God gives us his gifts, does he give them to us individually, or does he give them to us corporately?
I think you know the answer: both. God gives individuals gifts to share with others in the community of faith, so that together we have all we need to fulfill his calling among us, chief of which may be that we go into all the world and make disciples.
When Paul wrote to the Romans about the gifts they were given by the Spirit of God, he said that these gifts came “according to the grace given us.” We might tangle ourselves up with the question of measures of grace and their relationship to certain gifts. Instead, we should simply recognize that grace saved us and now grace equips us. What we have comes from God, be it a merciful heart, an encouraging tongue, a serving attitude, a teaching mind—you name it.
But more than this, Paul was saying, use what you have been given. This is good for the body of believers, for it is how we minister to one another. It is good, too, for the world around us, for when we act with the Spirit’s equipping and guidance, we become the city on a hill that cannot be hidden. Which means one more good thing: when we function humbly as those gifted by God, it is God who gets the praise, and we should want nothing more for our lives.
—
Jeff Hopper
November 29, 2019
Copyright 2019 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.
Other devotions in this series:
1 Who Am I? Created by God
2 Who Am I? Children of God
3 Who Am I? Crucified with Christ
4 Who Am I? Resurrected with Christ
5 Who Am I? Born Again
6 Who Am I? A Witness for Christ
7 Who Am I? A Citizen of Heaven
8 Who Am I? A Fearless One
9 Who Am I? Free in Christ
10 Who Am I? A Victor
12 Who Am I? God’s Friend
13 Who Am I? Complete in Christ