Many Gifts

We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.

Romans 12:6-8

Have you ever been asked: “what are your strengths?”

How have you answered this question? Perhaps you answered with the first thing that popped into your head, or perhaps you tailored your answer to fit the interviewer. Perhaps you immediately knew your answer or perhaps you took some time to come to the answer…and perhaps you are still thinking.

Knowing our strengths not only help us understand who we are, but it also helps us to know what we have to offer the greater good. Paul tells us that it is our strengths, or “gifts,” that help to make the body of Christ whole (read Romans 12:1-8 – especially for Sunday service). He tells us that there is one body with many members and not all members have the same function. A foot cannot act as an ear after all, and that is ok. When we allow ourselves to be transformed by the life-giving grace of God through Christ, we have the ability to begin to discern what the will of God is in our very lives. What is the will of God for you? What are your gifts from God given so freely by the grace of God?

Your gifts are part of the body of Christ at St. Stephen’s. You are part of the many that make the whole – your gifts are part of the story of the church of Christ in this world. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has provided a wonderful tool for us to think about the many gifts we bring to the church. In the sixty question survey we are asked to think about how a phrase relates to who we are, and after our answers are scored we are given a graph that helps to identify our strengths…or our gifts. This Spiritual Gifts Assessment Tool can be taken by clicking here. I encourage you to take this test and to print out your results. We can share those results on Sunday during our Bible Study and coffee Hour at 11:30 am. I wonder, are you surprised by the results? Knew what they would be? Indifferent?

Most importantly, I would like you to think about what gifts you discern are yours to bring to the community of St. Stephen’s and the church of Christ in this world.

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Jason

Photo by Nynne Schrøder on Unsplash