Given by Grace!

A post by Pastor Kathy.

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness. (Romans 12: 3-8)

Generous giving has been the topic of discussion at several meetings I have attended recently. What does it mean to give generously? How do you decide what you are going to give to others of your time, your abilities, your money? Why do we give anyway?

Notice that St. Paul begins this portion of his letter the Romans “For by the grace given to me...” God is the original giver. He has created us and all that exists and, in God’s view, all creation is good. God first gave us life and when we fail to use what we have received responsibly, he gives us forgiveness and salvation through Jesus. In our baptisms, we are marked with the sign of the cross and given the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Through the Holy Spirit we receive spiritual gifts. These gifts are different for each individual although all are given the gift of faith. (We cannot even believe in God without the help of God.) Grace is God’s unconditional gift of love; our spiritual gifts are not dependent on our own strength or efforts but solely on God’s generosity.

Therefore, says Paul, we are not to pride ourselves on our abilities, or our possessions, but are to use the gifts we have been given, as fully as we can, to serve the One who made us, redeemed us and sustained us.

We use our gifts, as teachers, parents, volunteers, linemen, restaurant servers, cooks, quilters, farmers, etc. as part of a life lived in response to God’s enduring presence in our lives. Paul reminds us that it is together that we are the body of Christ and together we use our gifts to further the Kingdom of God on earth. Jesus taught us to pray, “Thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.” Using the gifts God has given us helps God answer that petition.

If you haven’t done so recently, please take some time to consider what spiritual gifts you have received from God and the ways in which you already use them or ways that you could use them more completely.

As I look at my own gifts, I recognize that what I need to work on (at least sometimes) is my attitude as I exercise them. I think I am usually a generous giver, but sometimes I am a reluctant or even a resentful giver. I confess that my compassion is not always cheerful! How do you rate your own attitudes? I invite you to join me in praying for the ability to use the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the ways that St. Paul recommends.

May God grant each of us the clarity to see what gifts he has given us and the desire and strength to live fully into his love as a member of the body of Christ.

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