18 Days in the New Testament with Chuck SwindollSample

Spiritual Gifts

EVERY BELIEVER IN CHRIST has a never-ending reserve of spiritual wealth, and it is all for the common good of the body. This wealth is revealed in the exercise of one’s spiritual gifts.

Ephesians 4:4-8 sets the stage at Christ’s victorious resurrection and the days that followed. We can pin-point His ascension as the time when He “gave gifts to his people” (Eph. 4:8).

A spiritual gift is a skill or ability that enables a Christian to perform a function in the body of Christ with ease and effectiveness. That last part is important—exercising your gift comes with a great measure of ease, and when you use it, good things happen. It is ­effective. It doesn’t fall flat.

Let me clarify three things. First, spiritual gifts are given by the Lord, not some other Christian. Learning from fine Christian teachers doesn’t mean you will get their specific gifts, even if they lay hands on you. The Lord gives all good gifts.

Second, these gifts are spiritual in nature. You may be a wonderful salesperson, but sales is not a spiritual gift that God has given you—the church is not about selling anything. The function of a spiritual gift is to build up of the body of Christ.

Third, spiritual gifts are part of who you are in Christ. You don’t strive for them, and no one has to drag you kicking and screaming into the area of your gift. If you have the gift of mercy and you hear that someone you know is really hurting, you just can’t stay away. You feel compelled to bring comfort. Or if you have the gift of teaching the Scriptures, you can’t wait for the hour to come to explain them to others. You’re happy to do the homework thoroughly, and your delivery is effective. Your use of any of your spiritual gifts can be improved with the passing of time, but the essential impulse to use them comes easily and has a good effect.

Now, let me warn you of two dangers: The first is living your life not knowing what your gifts are. Sadly, if that’s true for you, you’ll never know God’s best for you. It is a tragedy that some people live their whole lives in the family of God and die not knowing that they were gifted and would have easily and effectively been able to make a contribution to the cause of Christ.

The second danger is not exercising your gift once you know what it is. I can’t think of anything more tragic than knowing that you have a gift and then neglecting it or putting it aside.

Except for hearing about Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection for me when I gave my heart to the Savior, the greatest truth I have ever uncovered is the truth of spiritual gifts. It settles the issue of competition. It takes away the confusion regarding what I’m supposed to do with my life. It once and for all frees me from the guilt of not having all the gifts. You are responsible for the gifts you have been given and the exercise of them, but not for being gifted in every area.