Romans, Day 9
The Practice of Service #1 (Romans 12)
“For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness” (Romans 12:4 – 8).
Do you know your limits? Do you know what you are good at and what you are not? I know some of mine. When I was a freshman in college, the choral director wanted me to try out and I refused, telling her that I could not sing well. She kept begging me to try out, so finally I did. After about a minute, she graciously told me that they did not need anybody on the team with my “range.” I knew she was trying to be tactful so as not to hurt my feelings, but she didn’t — I knew that I was not gifted in that area.
I have, however, known people who did not know their limits. I used to work with a guy who thought of himself as a master mechanic. Because he was new to the job, his main responsibility was oil changes. Now, if you don’t know, changing oil is probably the most common DIY job for most individuals who work on their own vehicles. Basically, a child could do it with supervision. Well, anyway, he forgot to put the oil drain plug back not once, but twice. Both engines ended up seizing and he lost his job. If only he knew and admitted his talents.
When we read Romans 12, we see a list of spiritual gifts that Christians possess. It is not a complete list, but it does show and explain how each one of us should use our gifts as part of the body of Christ. If your gift is teaching, then teach. If your gift is serving, then serve. It does not say that if your gift is teaching, then give generously or if your gift is mercy, then teach well. We all know that our bodies are made of different parts and that they serve different functions. What if one day your foot decided that it wanted to be a knee, or if your eye wanted to be a mouth. Would that work? Absolutely not. We know that is not what they were intended to do. Why then do we as people try so hard to do something that we are not supposed to do? Or why do we not do what God intended for us?
Do you know what your spiritual gift is? Is it teaching? Then teach. Is it service? Then serve. Whatever your spiritual gift is, exercise it so that the whole body can benefit from it. Do you belong to a local church? What are you doing to help the body?
A few years ago, my family was working to put together a puzzle. It took a few weeks to complete, and when we got to the end, we realized that we were missing a piece. We looked everywhere for it, but it was nowhere to be found. I contacted the company and they ended up sending us a new puzzle. After we completed that one, we finally found the missing piece from the original puzzle. How frustrating! I currently have that puzzle in my office as a reminder to not be the missing piece of the puzzle. If every Christian does their part, the body will be complete to accomplish the work of the Lord. Don’t be the missing piece. Find your spot, and with the Lord’s help, do the best that you can.
Pastor David Guenin