Affirming Gifts

The community of faith is commended to be mindful of the collective responsibility we have to affirm and encourage the use of our spiritual gifts. Every Christian has some gift. And those gifts may be, but are not necessarily attached to a vocational expression of our gifts.
We also need to understand that these spiritual gifts are not for our personal benefit. In fact, they rarely if ever are applied or used if the only motivation we have for using them would be for personal benefit or personal gain. Spiritual gifts are those to be used for the upbuilding of the community of faith and the exercise of those gifts, while likely to bring us joy, nonetheless are for giving to others.
You will never find a spiritual gift being shared by those who simply act as “religious consumers”. Spiritual gifts are shared by Christian givers – those who recognize and use the capacities God has given them in His service. It is a gift for God’s glory, not one’s own. It is a gift that God energizes and enables in us. It is a gift that demonstrates the love of God in its character and usefulness. And it is a gift given to others in the name of the Lord we serve. The blessing of those gifts comes when the church “sees” the gift of an individual and both nurtures and affirms that gift. Paul told Timothy to “stir up the gift that was in him” recognizing that he should “put into practice” his gift of teaching and preaching, devoting himself to those efforts and doing so in a way that allowed others to see his progress. Our spiritual gifts are not to be allowed to stagnate or to be neglected. They need exercise…in order to be utilized as God intended.
Christians need one another in community in order to bless and encourage the gifts God has given for us to share. “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good…” 1 Corinthians 12:7. So observe the gifts of those with whom you share Christian fellowship and encourage those gifts you recognize in others…affirm them…name them…bless their use. The utterance of wisdom, the sharing of knowledge, the expression of faith, the gifts of healing, the working of miracles, the gift of discernment, the gift of languages, the gift of interpretation, the gift of helpful deeds and capacities for helpful guidance…The gifts God gives for his church are many and diverse, but all are given for the his body, the church, to be strengthened, enabled, and equipped to accomplish its mission in the world.