“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethern, I would not
have you ignorant. …. Now there are diversities of gifts, but the
same Spirit. And there are differences
of administrations, but the same Lord.”
(1 Corinthians 12:1,
4-5 KJV)
October is here a time set aside for appreciating our pastors and all they and their families do—the sacrifices they make to care for the people in their charge. Of course, we should appreciate them the other eleven months of the year! October is Clergy Appreciation Month, with this in mind, I will be sharing (with some editing) what I posted last two Octobers.
To read the first and second posts in this series, please
see: Clergy Appreciation Month and Clergy Appreciation Month: Pastor Appreciation Sunday.
In the United Methodist Church the third Sunday in October
is designated as Laity Sunday,
this year the special day falls on October 15. This is a Sunday in which the
ministry of the laity is celebrated. As
Christians—as members of God’s family—we are to be exercising the gifts God has
so graciously given us.
 |
| Personal Photo |
Each Christian has at least one spiritual gift and sometimes
a gift mix—a gift that God expects us to use for His glory and the benefit of
His people. Have you taken the time to
discover your spiritual gifts? If you
have not done so, please consider doing it soon.
If you know your spiritual gifts, it is your responsibility
to use them. By using your gifts, you
will bless your pastor (and others) more than you will ever know. One of the greatest gifts you could give your
pastor is the voluntary use of your gifts.
You just might make his
or her day (and year!), by going to him or her with an idea about how you could
help and/or serve.
 |
| Image from Pixabay |
A couple years ago a pastor stated this regarding the
ministry of the laity: “Pastors are always delighted
to see laity that takes ownership of areas of ministry. A good example is
leading children and youth ministries and teaching the Bible.”
Remember, there are no bad gifts (see Romans 12:6), just
different ones. Spend some time thinking
and praying about how you can serve others as a lay person—lay ministry is not
just reserved for specially trained lay leaders or lay speakers of the
church. All laity are to be in some form of ministry within and without the
church.
If you know your spiritual gift(s), what gift(s) do you have
and how are you using them?
Where do you feel that God is calling to get involved?
What ways are you already serving—giving of your time,
talents, energy?
Remember, the Lord expects us to be salt and light in the
world (see Matthew 5:13-14). The people
around us should see something different about how we live our lives and how we
interact with and treat others!
Who can you share Jesus with today?
Please join with me in prayer:
Dear Lord, inspire us to use our
skills and our gifts to be a blessing to others. We desire to serve You humbly, along with our
pastor. Remind us that all gifts are
important within the church and Your kingdom; encourage us to use them to
glorify You. Persuade us to not only
encourage our pastor but others, as well, in using their gifts for Your
glory. May we all use our gifts for Your
glory not ours. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
From My Heart to Yours,
Kim
Special Note: Faith Journey with Kim: Growing in Christ Jesus has a Facebook page. To get to the site, please click on the grayish text above or here.
Special Note: Faith Journey with Kim: Growing in Christ Jesus has a Facebook page. To get to the site, please click on the grayish text above or here.
Kim, I totally agree that all of us should be using the gifts God gave us to further His kingdom; one pastor cannot possibly do it all. May we all find that niche where we can best serve others in God's name.
ReplyDeleteLove and blessings!
Martha, thank you for reading and commenting. As God's children using our gifts blesses the church and our pastor(s) more than we can know. Realizing the pastor cannot do it all and because of that we our important in our church is eye opening and freeing.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Yes, we should all be seeking ways to utilize our spiritual gifts in the church and outside the church walls as well. We ARE the Body of Christ, and thus we are His hands and feet here on earth. There is much work still to be done before Christ's return. I sometimes feel like I am not doing enough, but then again, I pray that God will use me in the ways that HE deems best...not necessarily what I think is best. Sometimes He surprises me with unexpected "missions" that I could never have imagined. The key is to be willing to serve no matter how big or small. Thank you, Kim, for this excellent post and reminder today. You are such a blessing to me.
ReplyDeletePam, thank you for reading and for your comment. Knowing that we're the body of Christ and are needed really does change things (or should!). Yes, God can indeed use us in surprising ways IF we're open to it. In God's view there's no small service--everything matters.
DeleteIt's a blessing to me to know that I'm a blessing to you!
Blessings!
Hi Kim! Happy Laity Sunday! It's really wonderful that your Church encourages and appreciates the efforts of it's members. I have always thought that churches definitely need leaders, like pastors, but they run on volunteers!
ReplyDeleteKnowing your gifts is a great way to start to share them with others. I do think that we will be investigating our resources for our whole lives.
Sunday blessings,
Ceil
Hi Ceil! Thank you for reading and commenting. My church decided to celebrate Laity Sunday a week early, nevertheless, the ministry of the laity keeps the church going on a daily and weekly basis. Yes, knowing our gifts does help in many ways, however, we do have to share them for the benefit of others. The investigation of our own inner resources does seem to be a life-long endeavor.
DeleteBlessings,
Kim