New Insight (for me:)) into Spiritual Gifts & Serving

I really hope this doesn't sound "anti-serving" or anything of the sort.  This was a freeing lesson for me, so maybe you put your own gifts or callings in place of mine or maybe you had this figured out already...


One of the spiritual gifts that shows up when I take a "spiritual gifts test" is the gift of teaching.  I feel a sense of energy when I have the opportunity to use that gifting and receive affirmation when used also.  It is my understanding that those two aspects can be confirmation of gifting, so for the purpose of this post I will claim the spiritual gift of teaching (and no level of quality is pronounced in that claim:)).  In fact, last week I had an opportunity to teach on "Heart Needs" in which I used material from a recent post and I had to humbly cling to the  LORD as the enemy plagued me with doubt after my message - a good exercise in not looking for man's approval and trusting that God was still choosing to speak this message through me. (1 Cor. 2:4-6)


Anyway, the passages on Spiritual Gifts (Romans 12:3 ff, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4:7ff make it clear that some have the gift of teaching, some the gift of serving, etc.  And yet there is also a calling in scripture to all Christ's followers to serve as He did, right? 

"Have this mind among yourself, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who...taking the form of a servant..." (Philippians 2: 5-7)


"...But whoever would be great among you must be your servant..." (Matthew 20:26ff)


"For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another." (Galatians 5:13)


This message in scripture (then presented in the form of messages from the "pulpit" through my college ministry years and beyond) have left me with the belief that I should be serving in sacrificial ways as Christ did.  Which I think is true, but I also am realizing that what I have internalized is that "to serve" means to help the church with all those "hands on needs."  I have been so impressed with people that seem to serve the church tirelessly and realized that I carry a weight of guilt that I don't feel like I serve as much as I should.  I have looked at the women a stage or so ahead of me in life as an inspirational model to be like one day and given myself grace that I'm in a stage of life that demands a great deal of my time and energy with two young, highly dependent children.  But then I look at the women in my stage of life - specifically the two with one or two more young children than I have and both homeschool and yet still seem to on the front lines of serving the church.  I spent a weekend fighting the burden of comparison - such an ugly, godless activity.  And yes, I can know the truth that I am not to compare and try to dwell on that truth, but it was my reading of Acts 13:1-4 that brought this new insight and the sense of freedom...


Barnabus and Saul were set apart by the Holy Spirit for the work to which He had called them.  Also, I was reminded that in Acts 6 those disciples preaching the word appointed 7 men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom (honorable description, not lesser because not preachers) to serve the physical needs of people.  Yet, those who preached, preached as God opened doors for them and those who preached, served physical needs of people as God opened doors for them - yet they were called to spend a majority of their time and energy preaching and therefore God opened more doors for those opportunities He wanted them to be faithful with.  Priscilla and Aquila were a neat example to me of this in Acts 18.  They were tentmakers by professional (their vocational calling-where they spent a majority of their time & energy) who served Paul by opening their home to him (fulfilled the need of hospitality as God opened that door) and then taught Apollos The Way more accurately (as God opened that door). 


As I have been wrestling with my calling (of being a wife and mother) and my gifting (teaching) and my duty? to serve the church, my God Whispers had repeatedly been something like "be faithful with the little or big task I am asking of you in the here and now.  That is serving Me in faith.  I will open doors for you to serve Me - serve in the form of teaching, serving in the form of hospitality, serving by mercy, OR even an open door to serve Me with those 'hands on service opportunities' by setting up tables and chairs or helping with food for a church gathering."  


So, I am NOT at all saying only those with the "gift of serving" should serve the church, just as not only those with the "gift of hospitality" should be hospitable (Romans 12:13). I think what I'm learning is that the call to serve means to serve with the "grace given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift" (Eph. 4:7).  I may have that grace in a larger measure for teaching and the grace in a smaller measure for serving, hospitality, mercy, exhortation, etc.  


For me, who wants to be a good servant, is learning the blessing of saying, "No" and living within my God-given capacity, and who does like to be helpful, this lesson from the LORD was a refreshing one of freedom.  I am just asked to seek the LORD for what He wants me to do and be faithful to that and not follow some imagined, phantom "scripture perscribed" servant.  My being a faithful servant of the LORD (and specifically being faithful in serving the church) doesn't always have to be the front lines help I see my friends doing.  Maybe they are called to that and maybe they are in the process of learning the calling vs. the duty of serving? I have seen people burn themselves out by trying to do it all to a great measure - hospitality, serving, giving, teaching, exhorting, leading, shepherding.  And I have seen people hurt because they expect those in leadership to be doing these all to a great measure.  And I have seen people wear the burden of failure because they aren't all these things.


I am faithful if I take time and energy and obediently write a letter of encouragement that the Holy Spirit is prompting me to or take the time to really listen to and give someone biblical counsel or go out of my way to generously giving in order to meet a physical need.  I'm not being faithful to God's working in my heart if I'm comparing myself to people, nor shall others compare themselves to my opportunities "to teach" (public or private) or whatever other spiritual gift I may be living out in whatever measure of grace I have.  Am I responding to God's promptings with the measure of grace, time, and energy He is providing?  


"Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord." (Romans 12:11)
"Whatever you do work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord. (Colossians 3:23)
"to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ," (Ephesians 4:12)  To serve the church = to build up the church (body of Christ).


Serving the Lord means serving the Church and serving the Church better be done with a heart attitude of serving the Lord. And serving the Church sometimes means serving the hands on "kitchen duty" needs of the church, but serving the Church should always mean building up the Body of Christ.


What am I doing, what are you doing to serve the Church; what are we doing to build up the Church - each day, on a regular basis, according to each God prompting!?!  To be faithful to this IS being a faithful servant of God's spiritual gifts, all in His grace.

Surrender Productivity, Refreshed!

Surrender Productivity, Refreshed!

See Here for Part 1

As I noted in part one I have "surrendered productivity" in the past (more than once).  Yesterday and today the LORD gave me a refreshed perspective.  Part 1 explains mainly yesterday's insight.  Today I started by wondering what Peter intended the difference to be between Holiness and Godliness.

I didn't do much cross referencing, but what I've landed on temporarily is that the context in 2 Peter 3 is that God is patient that none should perish, but all should come to repentance (a position of holiness before God) and that our conduct should be holy (godliness before others!?!)  He exhorts his readers to "be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure..." (2 Pet. 1:10, our relationship with God, internal assurance) and that if the qualities of godliness are yours and are increasing they will keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Pet. 1:3-8, our relationship with God displayed to others).  So, with that calling a little more settled, I am brought back to our calling in Genesis 1 to rule, subdue, and produce...

That's a catchy little phrase, but what exactly is The Calling of Genesis 1!?!

Found in Genesis 1:28, the ESV reads:

"And God blessed them. And God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'"

First of all, I notice that "God blessed them."  This calling is a blessing; I should not feel burdened, burdened by producing.  I see the word "subdue"; OK, we are called to subdue.  "Have dominion" - that is probably where the "rule" word comes from.  Now, how about that "produce" word; the one that seems to especially trip me up?  I don't see it.  I do see "be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth".  Fruitful, multiply, and fill - those are words of producing.  BUT, what is their context?  God made people in His image...MAKE more PEOPLE (be fruitful, multiply) to FILL the earth with MORE of MY IMAGE.  Be used BY ME to PRODUCE more OF ME in this world!  PRODUCE GODLINESS!!!!!  NOT produce cleaner homes, smaller paperwork piles, and less laundry, clutter, fill in the blank!!!!  My heart and mind have been confused.  Once again, the crafty serpent has deceived a woman by twisting the words of God! 

To her credit, I know that author of the bible study that gave me the catchy phrase that enemy has used to corrupt my thinking would be sad to know that.  I believe she desires to correctly handle the word of truth.  The way I learned it does not mean she taught it out of that context.  I also know that in her bible study sought to be sensitive to women who were not married or could not have children and therefore could not "be fruitful and multiply" as was intended by God in that context.  I do agree with her that you are still able to multiply God's image and fill the earth with it through women you disciple and through how you live and encourage others to live a life of holiness (purity before God) and godliness (purity before others - bearing HIS IMAGE!)  So, I think it can be a BOTH/AND.

I also want to put a disclaimer that I don't think that means we should let our homes go to chaos.  God is a God of order and I believe it honors Him and our families when we are making progress toward order.  Because of The Fall our "order" is always going to be unraveling (as the Order of Creation has been unraveling since The Fall).  I believe it is part of faithful homemaking to fight for the order that the chaos pushes to hinder; I am just expressing that I am thankful that I feel a little more released from that idol that threatens to consume me.  

May I live out the freedom of our calling to holiness and godliness!!!

What He's already given me...

I was at a frozen yogurt shop last night.  I noticed a woman who was the mom of a little girl I taught swim lessons to.  She's a runner.  She's cute and trendy.  She was sitting with 4 other 30 something ladies, presumably friends, all "attractive and modern"...and it sparked in me this DESIRE.  This aching desire that keeps appearing and causing me to long for sweet times of unhindered fun with friends.  I don't believe there is anything wrong with this desire.  The only problem with that feeling was that I WAS WALKING OUT WITH THREE OTHER 30 SOMETHING LADIES WHOM I HAD JUST HAD A LOVELY TIME OF SWEET TRUE FELLOWSHIP WITH!!!  I WAS WANTING SOMETHING THE LORD HAD JUST GIVEN ME!!!  Ugh!  How the enemy can so easily deceive our weak hearts!  How he can stir in me this discontentment SO QUICKLY.  Why and how does this happen?  THANK YOU, LORD, that You enabled me to recognize the falsehood just as quickly and to process it in a way to uproot the ugliness and plant in Your nurturing Truth!


I remember a friend of mine in college talking with me about the "phantom woman."  The one who has it all and does it all and is so godly...the one who DOESN'T EXIST but we strive to be!  I think the picture of "suave popularity" is a phantom in my life.  But where does THAT come from and why is it there?  Is it really still lingering from my desire as a 12 year old for popularity?  What is popularity?  To know and be known?  For attention, affection, approval?  But with "popularity" usually comes a compromise of character, purity...of godliness.  I certainly don't want THAT!  Maybe before I knew Christ at age 15 (knowing who He is, not just what He's done), but now I am confident that compared to knowing Christ (and living in His righteousness) all other things are rubbish (Philippians 3).  Or do I?  I know it in my head, I even believe it in my heart...so why am I so easily persuaded to think the lie of the enemy?   


"Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." (Colossians 3:2)  


Does discontentment come because our minds are set on earthly things?  If my heart was soaring with gratitude for time of fellowship with friends (which would have been a genuine feeling!), would there even have been room for the discontentment to sneak in?  Is discontentment birthed because we believe the grass is greener on the other side; we believe God is withholding good from us?  (Psalm 84:11)


LORD, Please, Let me learn: To be thankful, content (a contentment of feeling fulfilled!)
                                        To set my mind on things above
                                        To rest in Your Goodness
                                        To recognize what You DO GIVE ME and Delight in it!