Gifts

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he 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 the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
Romans 12:3-8
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Gifts
We all have different gifts and talents. That’s what makes our experiences so worth living. If everyone was exactly the same and could do everything anyone else did where would we find the joy in the human experience? But God graciously bestows various gifts to each of us, not just for our own selfish gain but to be used for the benefit of others. Our abilities can cause us to think of ourselves too highly. Therefore, Paul urges Christians to avoid that temptation while exhorting us to use God’s gifts to serve others. Paul repeatedly emphasizes the gracious gifts of God that are received in faith. We give thanks to God for bringing us into the Body of Christ and for the gifts He gives to those who have served us in many and various ways. May He continue to enlighten us with His gifts and empower us to be living sacrifices so that we may humbly use our gifts to serve others.