Here are three definitions of spiritual gifts I dug up on the web. They share common ground and represent what most Christians think about spiritual gifts.
A God-given ability to serve the church effectively.
a divine endowment of a special ability for service upon a member of the body of Christ.
While I don’t disagree with these definitions, I’m going with the Apostle Paul’s words:
” 4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.
7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.”
The first batch of descriptors match the three definitions I quoted: service, working. In other words, a focus on the outcome of the gift. But in the next verse, Paul actually defines what a spiritual gift is: “In all of them, it is the same God at work. The manifestation of the Spirit given for the common good.” A spiritual gift is a manifestation of God, yet another way God incarnates himself (makes himself flesh and bone) so he can touch the world.
The gift is God.
Not an ability, not an “it,” a him. God at work in us, and the power to share him as we serve. He gives himself to us in such a way that we can pass him along to others. God gives himself to the world through us. God in us makes us God’s gift to the world.
Incredibly, God comes wrapped in us, as we give ourselves to his cause. The gift, Jesus, is manifested differently (wrapped uniquely) by each of us: tongues, prophecy, healing, administration, leadership, hospitality, mercy, discernment, evangelism… but the moment we start calling it an ability, we’ve forgotten that a spiritual gift is not us harnessing God, but God harnessing us.
The wrapping, the tag, isn’t the point.
The gift is.
Jesus.
I think the tag and the wrapping is the primary focus because we don’t look into it deeper then the initial suggestion that we should be exercising God given spiritual Gifts. It is our fleshly characteristic to take gifts or good ideas and stop there. We must look past ourselves and see how stuff lines up with Gods heart. Thanks for the reminder.
Good thoughts, Jon. Thanks for weighing in.
Mind officially blown. Now to reassemble it in light of this revelation.
Spiritual fallout is beautiful.
I’m wrestling here, it’s a struggle, but a spiritual gift seems to be less of a “strength” but rather a vulnerability. So if my gift is mercy, it’s not that I was born with a tendency to be merciful, but rather it’s a soft spot in my stone heart. This fleshy pink area called mercy is “weak” in pushing God away, more easily allowing Jesus to take a hold of a situation and speak to my heart, and reveal Himself to others through me.
Am I on the right track here?
Beautiful imagery, Steven. I think every strength has a weakness, and as I reflect on your words I think there is wisdom to be found there. Of course, if the gift is primarily Jesus, who does have much more than “a tendency to be merciful,” then the gift is Christ in me, the hope of glory, being merciful through me. There is more to a gift than that, obviously; but I think the presence of Christ is at the core.
Ok, so it’s not just an extra boost of mercy, but rather, literally Jesus’s mercy, supernaturally flowing from Him, through me to others?
So what people are experiencing is not my God-given tendency to be merciful, but rather Jesus’ own mercy, pointing people to Him, instead of me?
Ahh, that is beautiful.