Using your Spiritual Gifts

1 Corinthians 12: 4-11
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.

Dear Fellow Followers of the Way:

The passage from 1 Corinthians, which is quoted above, goes on to talk about how believers in Christ have been baptized into one body and how the body needs all its various parts to function. Baptism marks our entrance into the body and we are reminded of our baptism weekly as the assurance of pardon is spoken from the font, as we celebrate Baptisms, and as we participate in the remembrance of Baptism during the Easter Vigil.

In our Baptism God claims us. It is a sign and seal of God’s grace, a reminder that we cannot do anything in and of ourselves, but that what we do is in response to the grace of God. The words most frequently spoken in the church where I grew up were a reminder that we are made new.
“Hear the Good News! Who is in a position to condemn? Only Christ, and Christ died for us, Christ rose for us, Christ reigns in power for us, Christ prays for us. Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation. The old life is gone; a new life has begun. Know that you are forgiving and be at peace.”
So in being made new; in receiving God’s grace; and in joining the Body of Christ, what is it that we should do to respond to what we have been given?

As it is stated in 1 Corinthians 12, we have all been given spiritual gifts. We, as members of the Body of Christ, are called to make use of those gifts to serve God, the world, the church and one another. What are your gifts? What are the things that light you up from the inside? Are you the hands that serve the homeless? Are you the ears that listen to members? Are you feet that spread the good news?

We all have gifts and everyone is needed. Take a look around the church, where are opportunities to live out of your baptismal identity as a child of God and serve? It may be seemingly unlikely. When you find ways to exercise your gifts, you will be energized and filled. You will find yourself emptying yourself for others so that you may be filled again. May we all find our gifts and ways to use them to serve in the Kingdom of God!

Grace, mercy and peace,
Karen