By David ReayTuesday 20 Jul 2021LifeWords DevotionalsDevotionsReading Time: 2 minutes
There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. (NLT)
Don’t spend time wondering what “spiritual gift” you have. Instead, regularly ask God to equip you to serve him and others as opportunities arise. God will give you what is necessary to do so. In the morning you might have a gift of wise counsel, in the afternoon a gift of practical help. We don’t so much possess such gifts: they are given to us by a God who never commands without equipping.
It may be you consistently are equipped or gifted for certain forms of service, but each of us is to be open to receive whatever equipping is necessary at a given time. In this way, we don’t box ourselves in by assuming we can’t or won’t do certain things because we haven’t got the gift. If God wants us to do something for him and others he will equip us.
And never assume that these lists of gifts in Scripture are exhaustive. They are illustrations of Paul’s basic point. So it is a waste of time to try to squeeze whatever equipping you might have or might need into the categories listed in the Bible. Besides, it is hard to define some of them in any precise way.
Pray to God for opportunities to serve him and others. He will give us the tools to do the job.
Blessings
David