And he himself gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, that is, to build up the body of Christ.
Ephesians 4:11-12
Into the Text
Even though we are called to be united as the body of Christ, this doesn’t mean that we are all going to be the same. The church is made up of a variety of people from all different backgrounds and stories.
One of the works of the Holy Spirit is to give each believer a spiritual gift. Paul lists a few of them here: teacher, evangelist, and pastor. Paul lists other gifts in Romans and 1 Corinthians such as: faith, serving, encouragement, giving, leadership, mercy, and wisdom (Romans 12:4-8; 1 Corinthians 12).
The purpose of these gifts is to build up the body of Christ and to equip believers to maturity. These are gifts of grace from Christ to be used for His name. They are not given to build up our own names or platforms.
While it is tempting to look at another person’s gift and think that it is more important or more worthy of praise, the truth is that all gifts are important and necessary. The body of Christ is incomplete without you.
You are uniquely equipped and gifted to step into the places where God has you whether it be your local church, home, workplace, family, friend group, local ministry, or somewhere on the other side of the world.
If you are unsure of how the Lord has gifted you, begin to pray and ask Him to reveal it to you. If you do know what your giftings are, begin praying and seeking ways to use them to build up the body of Christ.
Prayer
Jesus, thank you for uniquely gifting me. I pray that I can use these gifts to build up the church for your glory. Help me to not only use my gifts but to encourage others as I see them using their gifts. Amen.