I believe the Scriptures teach us that every Christian has at least one spiritual gift to use in service to the Lord in His church. Peter says this…
As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
1 Peter 4:10
Understanding Peter’s word choice is essential to help us better understand how we can work to use our gifts most effectively: Let’s notice these keywords in this scripture picture:
- Each one – Every person in the Lord’s church is included in the blessing described in this passage.
- Gift – We are given a free gift of grace, but not just grace as in gracious favor. It is the Greek word “charisma,” which implies a special provision of grace given by God to be used in His service and inspire others to serve as well.
- Employ – The special gift we have graciously been given needs to be put to work in the service of the Kingdom. There are no unemployment benefits for the Christian. Every one of us should be employed in the Kingdom looking for opportunities to use our gifts.
- Stewards – Having possession of such a wonderful gift also means that we need to be responsible with what has been given to us. To have it and not employ it would be such a waste. Using our gifts to serve others and the Kingdom is being good stewards of what we have.
- Manifold – The grace of God in our possession as Christians is not unilateral. Instead, it is a multifaceted grace with many various sides and perspectives. It is not to be applied to only your situation or circumstances. The grace of God shape-shifts to fit and adapt into everyone’s life as needed and as God sees fit. It is unlimited in abundance and application.
What a blessing it is to be a Christian and have the gracious gifts to use in the work of the Lord! Now let’s get to that work with gifts we’ve been given!
I love you,
Alex