Have you taken the Spiritual Gift Inventory yet? Come on, now! If you didn't do it, why not take five minutes and do it right now? Here is the link again...
Well, it is Day 2 of our 40 Day journey to get our spiritual and physical lives in SHAPE. Have you ever noticed how every part of your body works together? Your eyes need your hands, and your hands need your feet, and hopefully, they all need your brain. When one part of our body isn't working properly, it negatively affects all the other parts and we become weak and ineffective, even in simply tasks. The same principle is true with a vehicle as well. Last week I was driving down the road in my Chevy Trailblazer and my transmission went out. Did you know that even though a transmission is only one part of the entire vehicle that when it doesn't do its job, the entire vehicle is not effective in transporting its passengers or doing its job?
Do you know the same thing happens in the church? Each of us has been given certain spiritual gifts by God to use in serving Him and serving others. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 12:4-7, "Now there are different kinds of spiritual gifts but it is the same Holy Spirit who is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service in the church, but it is the same Lord we are serving. There are different ways God works in our lives, but it is the same God who does the work through all of us. A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church."
When we have members who choose not to discover their spiritual gifts or not even use their spiritual gifts, then the church becomes weak and ineffective in our lost world. We are not able to properly communicate the gospel, do ministry, meet needs, or effectively do the work of evangelism and missions. It takes all of us doing our parts and using our gifts for our church and our lives to be productive and significant before God.
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Today's Prayer:
Dear God, I desire to be useful and effective in using my gifts to serve you and others. Help me to take seriously the responsibility that I have as your follower to use these gifts effectively and productively in and through my church this week and in the weeks to come. Show me new areas where I can use these gifts for my good and for your glory. Amen.
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Dr. Clay Hallmark is the pastor of First Baptist Church of Marion, Arkansas. Click here to read his latest blog post.
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