Service/Helps (Verse 7)
The role or
position of serving. To minister to
someone. One who has this gift actually gets pumped or
excited when the opportunity arises to serve others. This person always serves with joy and does
so without complaining or looking for anything in return. One who serves never looks at what he/she is
doing as a job and they are often very humble in their service. They are not looking for recognition, payment
or accolades. These individuals just
love what they do and they do it in love.
According to I Peter 4:11 those with the gift of service will always
serve in the strength of God that he supplies
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Jesus
tells his disciples that if they want to truly be great you must be a
servant. He says in Mark 9:35, “If
anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” Jesus tells us he came not to be served but
to serve. Serving was a big part (if not
the main reason) Jesus came.
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Scriptural
Example: (Acts 6:1 – 7) The disciples
chose seven deacons to serve so the disciples could preach the Word and pray.
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Caution: We have to be cautious that we are not
serving grudgingly or for eye service.
There are many people who serve but do it with a wrong heart, attitude
or motivation. There is also an unspoken
belief that the gift of service is a lesser gift or insignificant. This is not true. When God has gifted an individual with
service and helps He will use that person to bring much joy, blessing and
encouragement to the Body of Christ. One
must never confuse serving with work.
When one serves or ministers to others it is important that he/she has
the understanding that he/she is doing the serving for the honor or God and not
man (Ephesians 6:5 – 8). One with the
gift of service is serving for the approval of One… God.
Exhortation/Encouragement (Verse 8)
The God-given gift of using verbal and
non-verbal means of encouraging or consoling others in need. These are people that I love being around
because they have that gift to always see the light at the end of the tunnel. These people refuse to let life get them down
and they thrive on being an encouragement to the downtrodden, hopeless,
depressed, angry and struggling.
·
One of my
friends who is a Pastor in has this gift and God continually uses him as a way
to encourage me in life and in my ministry and he has a way of communicating verbally to me and to others that God is
faithful. I can feel as thought I am
down in the dumps and on many occasions he has been a source of encouragement
to me.
·
Scriptural
example(s) – (Acts 11:23, 24) Some men of Cyprus and Cyrene were preaching to
some Hellenists and the hand of God was upon them as many came to faith Jesus
Christ. When the Church in Jerusalem
heard this they sent Barnabas to encourage them to remain faithful in their
ministry.
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Caution –
People need to be sensitive in certain situations. Sometimes encouragers are so bent on being a
positive person that they may forget that their encouragement or exhortation is
inappropriate. These individuals
sometimes project the way they deal with things on others and may not have the
sensitivity to individual circumstances.
For example, a person may tell someone who is grieving, depressed, angry
or at his wits end to not focus on their feelings, suck it up and be thankful
God is with them. When in reality all
the person needs is an ear to listen or a shoulder to cry on. Those are some non-verbal ways of encouraging
people.
Giving (Verse 8)
The gift of sharing what one has with
others. The literal translation for
giving in this passage is sharing.
Individuals with this gift love to give or share what they have with
others. This would include money,
resources, and possessions. Givers are
often encouragers because when they give or share they often bless or encourage
those they give to. Individuals with
this gift are not always wealthy or have a lot of possessions, but still give
out of faith and faithfully. People with
this gift never give out of guilt or to receive accolades. They simply give because they want to bless
the body and be obedient to what God has gifted them to do. They truly believe “It is better to give than
receive” and their lives reflect this.
·
I have
met a lot of people with this gift. I will not mention their names because I
wouldn’t want to embarrass them and I know they are not doing what they do for recognition.
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Scriptural
example – (John 21: 1 – 4) A perfect example of one who has little or nothing
but still has the gift of giving is found in the story of the Widow’s mite. She only had a mite (equal to a penny) to her
name and she gave it to God. Jesus
commended her for giving out of her poverty and in faith.
·
Caution –
This gift is probably the most abused of all gifts. Sometimes people give money, possessions or resources
with strings attached and this is not how God intended the gift to be
used. There are individuals who will
give a lot of money because they want to be able to tell others what to do. They give self righteously and expect
everyone to cater to their every whim.
They give with the intention to control and manipulate and not to
bless. There are many in churches who
view themselves as givers and they think this gives them the power to decide
how the money, possession or resource should be used. I could go on for hours about people who
abuse this gift but choose to say instead, “If you are giving with strings
attached or for your glory you are giving with the wrong motive.” Givers give cheerfully and in response to
what God has laid on their heart to give.
Leadership (Verse 8)
One who has the given gift of influence as to
cause others to follow in God’s direction.
The person with this gift has a gift to convince his followers to go
where God is leading. He/she has a laser
sharp vision for what God is calling them to do and a divinely inspired
strategy that empowers them to accomplish it.
This individual does not always have a likeability factor or may not
have great “bedside manners” but he is clear about the path God wants him to
take. The leader is always submitted and
obedient to God. He does not necessarily
concern himself with what the majority wants, he is more concerned with what
God wants.
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Scriptural
example – Moses is the perfect example.
He was called to lead a rebellious group of people out of Egypt into the
desert and try to keep them under control for 40 years. He was usually met with resistance from the
majority but was faithful to listen to God (most of the time).
·
Caution –
This is another gift that is often abused.
There is a saying that goes, “If you have to tell people you are a
leader, then you probably are not one.”
When individuals force their “leadership” on others then they are not
leaders. Leaders are influencers and
people will gladly and freely follow influencers and will resist those who
impose their “power” onto others. Just
because someone has a leadership title does not entitle them as leaders.
Mercy (Verse 8)
The gift to show concern, compassion and
kindness to others in serious need. One who
has this gift has a compassion for the less fortunate or needy that is given to
them by God. This individual’s heart
breaks when he sees injustice happen to others, he has a compelling love and
concern for those who do not have anything or are struggling. This person will often have a heart for both
mentally and handicapped individuals to encourage them along in life and will
treat them with dignity and respect. He
often has the passion and desire to help the needy and to bless the less
fortunate in the name of Jesus.
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Scriptural example – (Acts 9:36) Dorcas or Tabitha
was a woman who was full of good works and charity.
As I conclude my prayer and hope has been and
remains that you have been challenged, encouraged and invigorated in this
series of posts. I myself have been extremely
excited and encouraged as I preached and taught through these passages. I am looking forward to hearing how you
discovered your gift(s) and how God is leading you to use your gift for his
glory and the benefit of His body (locally & universal).
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