Romans 12:6-8

Passage

And while having different gifts according to a grace that was being given to you all: if prophesy then according to the proportion of faith, if service then in service, if the one who teaches then in teaching, if the one who exhorts then in exhortation, if the one who shares then in generosity, if the one who directs then in intense effort, if the one who shows mercy then in cheerfulness.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

In these verses Paul hits upon a theme that runs all throughout his writing.  As we discussed yesterday, we are all one body but different members.  We have different roles and different functions.  In keeping with that, it should also not surprise us to hear that we have different gifts and different measures as well.  It is God who calls us, God who equips us, and God who grants us the grace to accomplish what we need.  We simply need to trust Him and His ability to grant us what we need to accomplish His will.

How good are you at trusting the will of God?  How good are you at relying upon His ability to equip you to be successful at doing His will?

Second Thought:

Next, Paul lists a number of gifts that are readily seen among the followers of God.  There are several interesting points that can be brought out about the gifts in this list.  First, notice that Paul indicates that having a gift naturally implies usage of the gift.  People who are gifted at serving should serve.  People who are gifted at exhortation should exhort.  This may seem like a simple conclusion, but it is a conclusion that we don’t often hear about in the church.  The majority of the work in a congregation is done by a minority of the people.  That doesn’t mean that only a minority of people are equipped by God.  It means that the majority of people haven’t bought into the idea that their being equipped also means that they are called into service.

Why do you think people who are gifted don’t use their gifts?  Have you ever hesitated to use a gift that God has given to you?

Third Thought:

Another great point to reference in this list is that some of the gifts have a particular manner in which they should be used.  Prophets are to use their gift in relative proportion to their faith.  In other words, weak prophets should prophesy less and strong prophets should prophesy often.  People who are called to share should do so with generosity.  People called to lead should do so with intense effort.  People called to show mercy should be cheerful about giving mercy.  Some gifts are best done when a proper mental or emotional position is taken in conjunction with the application of the gift.

Why do you think some gifts are best used under a certain mental or emotional state?  Go through the list given here and determine why these states enable the application of the gift to be more successful.  What states of mind or emotion might hinder the gifts listed here?

Passage for Tomorrow: Romans 12:9-13