Variety is the Spice of Life

God’s Kitchen

Setting a routine is an important part of maintaining security in what I have planned for myself. We are creatures of habit.

I know that I plan my days with a start of coffee in the morning, breakfast, and gathering work items before heading out the door.

When I arrive to work, there are many people who have set out in a similar fashion.

Where there is a similar starting point for each of us, we are heading out to different areas dependent upon our talents and gifts.

However, we have the same goal in mind. We are working towards the arrival of the startup of a large project we can all say we were a part of.

God Grants Us A Variety of Gifts

Thankfully, if we recognize that there are many different talents and gifts among our group, we will learn to accomplish much more than each individual can accomplish.

Many times we get in our own way of allowing the variety of gifts to work towards the goal.

Just recently, we had a group of people working together to accomplish the goal of placing many pieces of equipment into service.

We discovered that there were people who were not working to accomplish the same goal but to hinder the process.

Many times, we do that in our spiritual lives as well. We work to prompt our gift as being the most important gift. We grieve the Spirit by not using our gifts in the manner God has given.

Using Our Gifts Well

Utilizing our gifts in only the way we believe they should be used limits the possibilities around us.

We constrain the ability of the Spirit to join each part to the body of Christ when we believe we know all aspects of our gift.

Instead, the gifts given to us are given by our creator and they are to be used for gathering the creator’s children back into the family.

Giving of Gifts by the Spirit Leads to God’s Goal

Paul speaks to the Corinthians about the giving of the gifts of the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:1 NASB95

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware.

1 Corinthians 12:2 NASB95

You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led.

1 Corinthians 12:3 NASB95

Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is accursed”; and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

Paul expresses that anyone who has the ability to understand that Jesus is Lord has the Holy Spirit. There is not a giving of a gift greater than the ability to proclaim that Jesus is Lord.

That proclamation and belief gives us life. Gifts poured out are individual to the person.

1 Corinthians 12:4 NASB95

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.

The Holy Spirit does not send direction to any of us outside of what God’s goals are for His Glory.

John 16:13 NASB95

“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.

Both Paul and John know that God does not contradict Himself. Since the Holy Spirit is testifying of God’s work, the gifts and the ministries we have must work to accomplish that same goal.

1 Corinthians 12:5 NASB95

And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord.

Paul implores the people to recognize that the variety of ministries are possible as long as they express the final goal of pointing to the same Lord.

1 Corinthians 12:6 NASB95

There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons.

How goals get accomplished may look different from ministry to ministry. This is the spice of life that God establishes for each ministry.

We must recognize for ourselves that the variety we offer with one another is a benefit for learning in our own lives.

1 Corinthians 12:7 NASB95

But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

God encourages us all to work together for the common good with the understanding that we are working for His common good and not our own.

If we lord over one another and prompt each other to only do something one way, we may be inhibiting a ministry from performing good for God.

However, there are times when a ministry suffers because it lacks the discipline needed to thrive.

Your Gifts Must Submit to God’s Goal

While each of us has been given gifts, we are by no means experts at those gifts as soon as they are given.

We must rely on each other to express how we could become better at our gifts. The Holy Spirit desires that we humble ourselves to accepting the constructive criticism needed to become better in our lives.

Recently we have witnessed people saying that they have made a routine that has worked for themselves without recognizing how it affects other people.

God’s desire is that we think of other people to witness how well we can utilize our gifts and talents for His good.

If we remain stubborn in our thinking, manners, and the utilization of our gifts, we risk losing out on what God has for us to learn.

Growing Your Gift is Accomplished Through the Holy Spirit

Paul’s expression of how the gifts are used in the church here is an admonishment to the Corinthians for previously withholding worship and obedience for God.

Prior to his explanation of why the gifts are given, Paul expresses that the Corinthians have lived to work for themselves and not for the worship of God.

Donald S. Whitney, writer of Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life expresses that each aspect of our life should express worship for God. He also mentions we must continue learning how to use our gifts by learning.

If we believe that we are a knower and not a learner, our gifts will stop growing.

Whitney maintains a questioning aspect regarding these gifts to witness where he is stagnant in his growth.

Allowing Variety in Understanding Our Gifts Allows Continual Growth

When we are challenged with a new opportunity, often we attempt to stay away because of the risks associated with learning something new.

However, maintaining an attitude of routine does not allow for the unknown variety to happen in our life.

While it is risky, scary, full of apprehension and anxiety at times, the thrill of experiencing new life and activity is worth these risks.

There is a reminder in the Bible in the risk the people fleeing Egypt experienced. We should be reminded of how much they grumbled along the way because they were doing something outside of their routine.

Using Gifts in Variety Gives Spice to the Church

When the various ministries consistently learn how to work their gifts for the betterment of the body of Christ, the variety will expand.

If the same sermon were to be given each Sunday without learning more about the people within the congregation and the community outside these walls, I would not be listening to the Spirit’s guidance.

In each church ministry, it is our requirement that we humble ourselves for continual learning of how we can know how our ministry is capable of impacting the body of Christ.

There are many ways to accomplish the same goal. God expects us to work with one another for His Good and not ours.

Love for God and Others is the Greatest Gift

Paul immediately follows up the explanation of gifts with the most important gift, love.

Within each aspect of our lives, we are prone to becoming frustrated when we see a gift used in a manner we do not believe is the best use of that gift.

I heard many testimonies of the ways in which our gifts are utilized this week.

Whether it is the gift of making a child smile to holding someone’s hand as they on their deathbed, the gifts given to each one of us vary.

Many times, we are lead out of our comfort zone or encouraged to use gifts in another area. Being prepared to hand over our ministry to another pours into another person the love and care each generation should as they learn to share their gifts and talents with others.

This is the unselfish sacrifice of using our gifts for the common good. We do not only use our gifts for ourselves and to better this building of believers.

We are to use our gifts for the betterment of the entire community, county, state, and world.

Evidence of that love for both community and church is evident within this church.