Epiphany 14 Getting It Together Spiritually

[HKHaugan]

Epiphany 14 Getting It Together Spiritually

As we move into specific gifts we need just a bit more clarification about gifts and talents. Talents are natural capabilities and aptitudes with which we are born. They range from intellectual to physical. They are the means by which we function in the world and determine our occupations, interests and other personal activities. We may be mathematicians, athletes, businessmen, doctors, engineers, artists, musicians and so on.

Our spiritual gifts, on the other hand are, are not born into us. They are exactly that, gifts---they are given to us. When we accept Jesus as our personal Savior and Lord we receive the Holy Spirit who offers His gifts so we can minister to one another.

There’s a real point to all of this. They are our spiritual job description as we have said. With spiritual gifts we revise our self-pre-occupation and operate out of a spiritual base. We no longer assess one another in terms of how great they are as athletes, businessmen, politicians or intellectuals.

Spiritual gifts give us three entirely different levels of interpersonal assessment, identity, relationship and function. So when we look at one another and people in general, what do we see? Do we view them as spiritual beings or in terms of worldly categories like ethnic background, social status, economic standing, intellectual ability, medals, degrees and trophies?

First, identity. It’s eternal. We are all spiritual beings eternally and personally loved by God, having an eternal place and purpose in God’s plan and an eternal relationship with other believers. We are eternal members of the Body of Jesus.

Second, relationship. It’s eternal. As spiritual beings we are brothers and sisters in an eternal family that means we are in the process of building and deepening our relationship with God and one another. We are eternally relational.

Third, function. It’s preparation for eternity. God in His grace has gifted each of us with one or more gifts we are to develop so that His eternal relational purposes can begin in the here and now.

Spiritual gifts are the special abilities God gives so that we can function spiritually together. When we bring our talents under the influence of our spiritual gifts they can function the way God wants them to both in the Body and in the world. So the banker mentioned before found his spiritual gift of service and discovered he could apply his natural talent for business organization in the Body through his gift of service. The schoolteacher was given a spiritual gift that didn’t demand her skills as a teacher, intercessory prayer. Sometimes they do coincide and the individual knows because of the spiritual results. A musician may find that because of his spiritual relationship with the Lord he has a gift of helps and finds music as a means to praise the Lord and help others to a deeper sense of praise and the presence of God in worship.

“Surely you will summon nations you know not,
and nations that do not know you will hasten to you,
because of the LORD your God,
the Holy One of Israel,
for he has endowed you with splendor (Is.55:5 NIV)."

Gifts, gifts, gifts…stay tuned……..