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The Quiet Gifts
Through the years I have had opportunities to work in church in many ways. What I have enjoyed most is getting to know the people that God put in my path. Because of their gifts, they became part of my life. I enjoyed serving with them, and encouraging each other. We became friends.
On Christmas Eve, with family and friends coming over, dinner cooking and presents to wrap, in the middle of this wonderful but hectic day, I received a call from a close friend, who is grieving the death of her husband. As young mothers we served together in church. What a blessing it was to stop for a short time and have a heart to heart conversation with my friend.
Sometimes we think that talents are things like music, teaching, and preaching. God says that we belong to each other, and we have different gifts. It’s by grace the gifts are given, and it is by “grace we are saved, not by works lest any man should boast.” The quiet gifts of encouragement, prayer, and giving, even if it is just over the phone to comfort a friend, extend His grace to the Body and return glory to Him.
I have always wondered what my true gifts were. I have been told that it’s my compassion, but somehow I’ve always felt it should be so much more than that. I feel like that’s a natural human instinct rather than a special talent or gift that God has blessed me with. At the same time I do pray that God uses me in whatever way to do His will. That’s the greatest privilege I can hope for.
There were once times that I thought, serving God and being part of the body of Christ is always going to be uncomfortable and difficult. However, I like that Paul uses the end of this section on living sacrifices to encourage people. Paul is saying, if your good at something, it is an extension of God’s grace given to you, so go a head and do it for the body.
Serving isn’t painful and self-deprciating. It is fulfilling and requires our best, which means we need to serve by using the things we are good at. Gayle, I love how you recognize that the quiet gifts are the ones God made you to use. It can be easy to think that if a person is not preaching, singing, or being a missionary they can’t truly sacrifice. This is opposite of what Paul is saying. Many parts, one body.
Thanks Gayle for your words.
I am so thankful that I took a spiritual gift class. (It was many years ago when we lived in Florida.) I really did learn about myself. It gave me such a peace and helped me focus my talents. I learned that my main spiritual gift was helps/ serving, with a strong second as prayer. The others gifts have changed as I have changed and as God has needed them. It falls in line so much with who I am, a little ADD. If you haven’t done so already I strongly recommend for you to take the Spiritual Gifts Course.
It is hard for me not to rave on about my wife, and her great qualities. I’ll control myself and say two things. In 31 years I have not known anyone who has been a more true friend and counselor to so many women, and sometimes a few guys. God has given her wisdom. Second, I have seen her and the close friend she mentioned pray for women who want to have children but haven’t. Soon after Gayle and her friend pray, there’s a baby on the way. God listens to her prayers. Needless to say, I am glad she has been praying for me for all that time.
The gifts of encouragement, wisdom, intercessory prayer to me seem so much more important than other more visible gifts. They are the ones that appear to create big effects. But what God says in Romans 12 is that none of our separate gifts are more important than others. All of our gifts are essential to strengthen the church as a whole and to strengthen each of us individually in Him.
Bill I’ll rave about your wife. She is serving and giving in quiet ways. I have had the privilage of knowing Gayle of many years and serving with her for the last eight. She has seen needs and filled them. Prayed for people who need Christ’s loving touch and touched them. Brought joy to our community group (and great food). She will gather lost and lonely people like strays. I would say she has never met a stranger. I know she will be embarrassed to read all of this but I want our church to know what God has done in her life. She is a great example of living out her faith. I am challenged today to look again at my day to day life and ask how God wants me to use my gifts today. They are for the building up and encouraging of the body of Christ. So what will you do today?
Gayle,thanks for your message. One of the “quiet gifts” of encouragement is giving. Further, “not by works lest any man should boast.” Although I haven’t known you that long I sense that you are a very giving person. This verse reminds me of the Sunday that CCC recognized a few of the church members for their contributions behind the scenes. Depending on their situation, people give in different ways – time, talent or treasure. Only giving from the heart will return grace to God. I believe that I should give more “quietly” and return greater glory to Him.
Thanks Gayle…for your words and your years of service at CCC. Thanks for your quiet gifts too. Like Bill, I’m tempted to say that these quiet gifts are more important than those that are more visible…b/c of the very specific, very personal power God brings to peoples’ lives through them. Additionally, there’s something about the purity of someone’s motives/heart that God speaks through in these quiet gifts. However, I do agree with today’s scripture – knowing and being blessed by others’ “louder” gifts…so don’t get me wrong. I just appreciate your making this point – it’s easy for folks to think they have to do/be something for everyone to see – while actually neglecting how God has gifted them…and those that need that quiet prayer or word of encouragement. Thanks again Gayle.
Gayle,
Thank-you for your words of wisdom. God has definitely used you to bless many people. I know that he will continue to use you for His Kingdom.
Ralph,
The heart of the matter is the heart. The reason which you are doing this determines the ammount of Glory that we give back to God. If it is for our recognition that we serve then we have already received our rewards here on earth, and we have taken the Glory for ourselves and don’t leave it for God. However, if we serve for God then he will bless us beyond our imagination. God has given us all the ability to serve Him where we are. He expects us to bloom where he has planted us
We are all special and different for specific reasons. We need each other to complete the body of christ (as the church). I am truly interested in what my spiritual gift(s) are. I am told that Rob teaches a class on spiritual gifts. I would like to know when the next class is.
In the meantime, I know that we can all do our part to help one another. In big ways and in small. By using ourselves to help, we glorify God who is the one that has given us that ability.
Thanks Gayle for your thoughts. You have been a dear friend to Brannon & I through the years and God has used you to encourage us (and feed us….particularly my husband!). Your words were encouraging to me this morning as I often feel that I should have a “louder” gift when serving the church, when in truth, he uses my “quieter” gifts also and they are just as needed in the church.
I went through a spiritual gifts class and discovered my main gift is administration. I was honestly kinda bummed because this doesn’t feel like a “cool” gift to me. Why not healing, wisdom or music? I can barely carry a tune! Having a gift in administration means I’m good at organizing, planning, and handling all those minute details to execute something. Not very exciting.
So this scripture was a nice gentle reminder that everyone’s gifts are different and necessary to the body. It’s ok that I like lists, get excited at Staples and express utter joy at being able to check off an item on my list.
I like Gayle’s thoughts about grace gifts. Undeserved. Unearned. Freely given. Shouldn’t we all serve humbly and quietly — no matter what we do? It seems like we should always be opened to learning from and being sharpened by each other as we all serve. Often times I can be so brash, arrogant, and forceful in my serving. What is that? I’m sorry Lord.
I am glad every member is a minister. It’s why I dropped the title of “minister” several years ago. If I’m THE minister, then what/who is everyone else? Every member is a minister. Cool. Biblical.
Thanks, Gayle.
Gifts translated from the Greek word charismata can mean grace or free gift. God saves us and places us in the body to be a part of a living organization. We are to use our gifts to bless, or to build up the church. When we use our gifts and they encourage, build up, strengthen, aid, comfort, or in anyway, help the body, our gifts confirm the power and work of the Holy Spirit.
Are we using our gifts? If not, why?
Gayle, I haven’t met you yet, (my husband and I are kind of new to CCC) but definitely want to. Your words call to mind my spiritual mentor, a wise woman who was actually my boss for a few years. She, like you, gathered “strays” of which I was one at the time and gave of her time, ears, heart and words from the Bible to help demonstrate the “walk your talk” attitude that so described her and took me further along the learning curve of God’s grace. Spiritual gifts are many, given freely and ours to use to serve our Lord and His people. How cool is this journey of learning?? Quite the thrill for me.
Gayle, thanks for your words of encouragement. All gifts are precious and valuable to the Lord. Your gifts of encouragement, prayer, and compassion are very important at specific times. It is very comforting to me to know that God values all our gifts, no matter the stature among men.
Thank you so much for your words today. I must say your words touched me. I couldn’t help but think of all the times people have lifted me when I felt down.
For Michelle and the gift of administration that appears at first glance “not very exciting.” That gift is one of the most necessary. Next time CCC has a project, like FIA, or a concert, or a clean up, a Great Hall or the Loft built out, or lunches delivered for MUST, we need the admins and orgs in there getting us in line and calming project panic. The “mercies” may serve the wrong people, the “prophets” may tell us we got it wrong, the “teachers” may tell us how not to get it wrong again, etc. But the administrators will help us get it right the first time. How cool is that? (to use Alan’s rhetorical question.)
It is important to give back and serve humbly and celebrate the grace of our gifts. When we do we are fulfilled through the giving and others are enriched as they reap the benefits of our special heavenly gifts.
I was lucky enough to be part of the acoustic set we had at CC a few months ago. It was gratifying to be allowed to contribute the gift of musicianship in a spiritual serving manner.
Amen to Bills last thought. As one who is administratively inept, the church would never get it’s act together without those gifted members.
My experience has been that it is easier to appreciate the gifts of the Spirit as expressed by others than it is to appreciate our own giftedness. We tend to have a harder time identifying and appreciating our own gifts than the gift of others. I think this is as it should be… lest anyone should boast. (That will probably be the last time I use the word “lest” in a sentence this year.)
Gayle,
I loved your thoughts regarding each member belonging to all the others. This is one of the ways that the church is truly family! We have the opportunity to show love and acceptance to others (and their gifts), regardless.
I, like you Gayle, am not blessed with those “obvious” gifts. I have no musical talent or preaching ability. But you remind me that I have been richly blessed with the gift to listen. Time is well spent by listening to the hearts of friends. I am also blessed to have friends who will sit and listen to me.
There are times when I ask God why couldn’t I have had the gift of Worship. I love singing. I love to shout to the Lord. This is unfortunate for people that sit near or in front of me in church. I rarely ever hit a correct note and shout is what it sounds like. My kids use to tell me when I was singing in the car to please stop I was hurting their ears.
I would love to be a missionary for the Lord or a teacher. No that is not God’s plan for me. I know God knows what He is doing. My gift is that of encourager and prayer warrior. Why these gifts? Because God knows my heart. I love people and I love to serve Him. What better way for me to serve than to do what he wants me to do. He has given me the honor of bringing those He loves before Him. It humbles me to know that He trusts me with these gifts.
Gayle, thanks for being such a crucial part of our body!
1 Corinthians 12
14Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 17If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
Lord thank you for taking all our gifts and uniting them as one.
I forgot to add. If anyone wants to feed themselves more, there is a great site that I like to visit in addition to feedoneanother.com.
It has great discussion questions and life application questions. Right now they have a study on Matthew that started Dec. 26th and goes thru Jan. 16th. They start the Psalms on Jan. 17th.
http://www.ivpress.com/bible/
Enjoy!
Gayle,
I really appreciated your thoughts today, and I appreciate the gifts that God uniquely gave you. Thanks for sharing your heart (and gifts!) with us.
I think I’ve often shirked certain promptings/leadings because I’ve said, “well, that’s not my gift.” It was probably true, but I also know that God often asks us to step outside of our natural gifts and abilities in obedience. So when God asks me to be patient (and I’m horribly impatient), it’s so great to have other people in the body who model it so well. He definitely uses us to edify each other! And it’s such a comfort to know that no gift trumps another. They compliment and support each other, and are all vital to the body functioning rhythmically and smoothly.
Jon, I tried to work “lest” in but just couldn’t bring myself to do it!
Gayle, Thank you. Today’s word has encouraged me to dig in on my own to see what the Holy Spirit has to show me. Thank you.