The Gifts of the Holy Spirit: - Vital Christianity
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit: - Vital Christianity
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit: - Vital Christianity
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Discovering, developing and using our gifts is our responsibility. God simply has not<br />
given us <strong>the</strong> right not to discover, develop and use our gifts. A healthy, biblical understanding<br />
<strong>of</strong> who God is and what He is like is crucial to an appreciation for <strong>the</strong> gifts and a confidence in<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir use. God, <strong>the</strong> Giver <strong>of</strong> spiritual gifts, has not given us His unmerited gifts to scare,<br />
overwhelm and intimidate us. <strong>The</strong>y have been given lovingly and graciously by a heavenly<br />
Fa<strong>the</strong>r who trusts His children with His resources.<br />
FEAR OF OURSELVES<br />
Low self-esteem makes us fearful <strong>of</strong> our efforts at anything. It makes us feel<br />
inadequate, unimportant, worthless and useless. In our timidity we have forgotten Paul’s<br />
exhortation to Timothy:<br />
“For God did not give us a spirit <strong>of</strong> timidity, but a spirit <strong>of</strong> power, <strong>of</strong> love and <strong>of</strong><br />
self-discipline” (II Tim. 1:7).<br />
A cowardly reluctance in <strong>the</strong> use <strong>of</strong> our giftedness definitely is not from God. <strong>The</strong><br />
<strong>Spirit</strong>—<strong>the</strong> <strong>Holy</strong> <strong>Spirit</strong>—given by God is a <strong>Spirit</strong> <strong>of</strong> power and boldness. Power (dunamis) in<br />
Greek means among o<strong>the</strong>r things “<strong>the</strong> ability to do.” It is <strong>the</strong> <strong>Spirit</strong> <strong>of</strong> God who gives us <strong>the</strong><br />
power we need to overcome our timidity and do what God has called us to do.<br />
Paul also points out in this verse that God’s <strong>Spirit</strong> is a spirit <strong>of</strong> love. Love will guard us<br />
against pride. Paul warned:<br />
“For by grace given me I say to every one <strong>of</strong> you: Do not think <strong>of</strong> yourself more<br />
highly than you ought, but ra<strong>the</strong>r think <strong>of</strong> yourself with sober judgment, in<br />
accordance with <strong>the</strong> measure <strong>of</strong> faith God has given you” (Rom. 12:3).<br />
Love, which by its very nature is humble (I Cor. 13:4), will keep us from valuing<br />
ourselves higher than we ought and it will also help us in not valuing ourselves lower than we<br />
ought. Love centers on God who gave us value, dignity and significance. By focusing on Him<br />
we are freed from excessive examination <strong>of</strong> our own value or worth. <strong>The</strong> contribution we<br />
make to <strong>the</strong> body <strong>of</strong> Christ with our gifts is not seen in terms <strong>of</strong> our greatness but in terms <strong>of</strong><br />
God’s gracious love which has enabled us to share our giftedness with o<strong>the</strong>rs. This sharing<br />
results in mutual upbuilding.<br />
Self-discipline is <strong>the</strong> third evidence <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> work <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Spirit</strong> <strong>of</strong> God in our lives<br />
according to Paul’s exhortation for Timothy. Paul similarly said to <strong>the</strong> Christians at Rome: