There is work to do! Jesus said, “Open your eyes and look at the fields, because they are ready for harvest.” (John 4:35) Jesus said, “I sent you to reap what you did not labor for, others have labored…” (John 4:38) If you are a Christian, you have work to do. If you are a Christian, you are in ministry. No more excuses about not being trained to work in the economy of God because we have been given the Holy Spirit as a down payment for our inheritance (Ephesians 1:14) and the Holy Spirit has given us spiritual gifts to build the kingdom of God. I can hear some of you now saying that “I am not talented or educated enough to do such work.” Let’s see what scripture has to say about that.
First, let’s distinguish between talent and spiritual gifts. Talent is what man develops in his own heart and body, mainly for his own gain. Sometimes it will better humanity and sometimes it will better his own prospects. To be talented is to be human. A spiritual gift is a gift given by Jesus, Ephesians 4:8, to be administered by the Holy Spirit for the prosper of God’s kingdom and the glory of Jesus. To have a spiritual gift you must be saved by faith, that Jesus died for your sin and was raised on the third day according to the scriptures and now live for Jesus. All who have been saved are given a gift, verse 7. All gifts are not the same and some gifts are a continuation of our talent, but the focus is now being used to better the kingdom of God and bring glory to Jesus. If we are saved and our intention is to bring glory or recognition to ourselves there will be no power in the gifts we receive. Our intentions become self-motivated and self-promotion. Ask yourself this, “Why would God enhance the gift He gave me to promote myself or the devil’s kingdom?” He won’t. But, if we use our spiritual gift to promote Jesus and the kingdom of God, power will be displayed. Having a “spiritual gift” only means we have been given this gift by Jesus and does not mean mystical.
Now, what does scripture say about lack of talent or education to be used in the kingdom? After being led out of Egypt, the Egyptians gave to the Israelites “whatever they asked for. In this way they plundered the Egyptians.” (Exodus 12: 35-36) God had instructed Moses to build a Tabernacle, Exodus 35, and to take up an offering from the people which was so great Moses had to request the people to stop in their giving, Ex 36:6. Now, here is the exceedingly great foretelling of this age, Moses had “summoned every skilled person in whose heart the Lord had placed wisdom and understanding to know how to do all the work of constructing the sanctuary.” (Exodus36:2-1) We see the spiritual gifts given to men and women not only to build the Tabernacle but to teach the skills to others. The building of the Tabernacle had to be specific to God’s design. These men and women knew those specifics which are described in Exodus 37 because God had instilled these instructions into them. The point here is that we have been given gifts to work in the kingdom. Like the men and women in Exodus using their gift to build a structure for the kingdom with the “plundering” from Egypt, we are to use our spiritual gifts to build the kingdom of God. If we sit around and do nothing, waiting to be imparted knowledge, we will be useless in God’s kingdom! Be warned, least we fall, this is the Holy Spirits interaction within us for the benefit of another for their salvation and your obedience. Begin to do something and your gifts will become clearer to you if you do not already know what they may be. Using our spiritual gifts for our benefit will only place you on the shelf of uselessness. Begin to work in the kingdom on day 1 of our salvation. God will provide for your training by the Holy Spirit. You will begin utilizing the gift of the Spirit given to you for God’s economy which is the salvation of souls and the destruction of self-dependency.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, forgive us our sin. Our walk, humbly by Your side, will help us to see the gift you have given us to administer as our work in your kingdom. Our walk, humbly by Your side, will help us depend on you so we will not be caught up in self-promoting with the gift you have given us. Our walk, humbly by Your side, will give us the love for our work in Your kingdom that truth will be given in love. As Your word says, each have been given a spiritual gift by the same Spirit. Help us to recognize this as it is described as one body, each part affecting the other, that in love we speak and act in truth for the betterment of Your kingdom.
Amen
David Mroz
