Service is at the heart of how God works through people, and it’s not limited to the extraordinary. The truth is, He can use anyone who is willing to serve Him. The Bible shows us that spiritual gifts are not reserved for the elite or the “superstars” of faith; rather, they are given to ordinary people like you and me. Each of us has been entrusted with unique gifts, not for our own benefit, but for the purpose of building up the Church and bringing glory to God.
Whether your gift is teaching, serving, encouraging, leading, or showing mercy, God has a specific plan for how you can use these gifts for His Kingdom. It’s not about boasting or comparing ourselves to others, but about recognizing that every good thing we have comes from God, and we are called to be faithful stewards of these gifts.
In this post, we’ll explore the variety of spiritual gifts described in Scripture, their purpose, and how you can use them in service to God and others. God has equipped you with something special—are you using it for His glory? Let’s dive in and discover how you can embrace the gifts God has given you and put them to work for His Kingdom.
- προφητείαν — prophecy; the gift of communicating and enforcing revealed truth
- διακονεῖ / διακονίαν — to serve (as a servant), waiting at table; in a wider sense: service, ministration
- διδάσκων — to teach (literally, “cause to learn”); instruct, impart knowledge (disseminate information)
- παρακαλῶν — a calling to one’s aid, i.e. encouragement, exhortation, comfort
- μεταδιδοὺς — giving, to give a share of, to impart
- προϊστάμενος — going ahead, leading, guiding, managing
- ἐλεῶν — to have pity or mercy on, to show mercy, to have compassion
- λαλεῖ — speaking, to talk, conversation with others
In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. (Romans 12:6-8)
God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen. (1 Peter 4:10-11)
Dear brothers and sisters, I have used Apollos and myself to illustrate what I’ve been saying. If you pay attention to what I have quoted from the Scriptures, you won’t be proud of one of your leaders at the expense of another. For what gives you the right to make such a judgment? What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if everything you have is from God, why boast as though it were not a gift? (1 Corinthians 4:6-7)
Well, my brothers and sisters, let’s summarize. When you meet together, one will sing, another will teach, another will tell some special revelation God has given, one will speak in tongues, and another will interpret what is said. But everything that is done must strengthen all of you. (1 Corinthians 14:26)
What is your gift of service?
What are you doing with your gift? It’s not too hard to answer these questions. Whatever you are good at and enjoy doing is probably a gift from God. Figure out how to use that in a way that builds others up and brings glory to God for the service of His people. If all you can do is smile, and you can build others up and bring glory to God with your smile, then smile!
(6) Gifts differing according to the grace.—The English loses a point here. The word translated “gifts” means specially “gifts of grace,” grace standing here for the operation of the Spirit. Different kinds of grace, with different forms of expression, are given to different individuals, and they are to be cherished and used accordingly. –Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
Differing – It was never designed that all Christians should be equal. God designed that people should have different endowments. The very nature of society supposes this. There never was a state of perfect equality in any thing; and it would be impossible that there should be, and yet preserve society. In this, God exercises a sovereignty, and bestows his favors as he pleases, injuring no one by conferring favors on others; and holding me responsible for the right use of what I have, and not for what may be conferred on my neighbor. –Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
According to the grace – That is, the favor, the mercy that is bestowed on us. As all that we have is a matter of grace, it should keep us from pride; and it should make us willing to occupy our appropriate place in the church. True honor consists not in splendid endowments, or great wealth and function. It consists in rightly discharging the duties which God requires of us in our appropriate sphere. If all people held their talents as the gift of God; if all would find and occupy in society the place for which God designed them, it would prevent no small part of the uneasiness, the restlessness, the ambition, and misery of the world. –Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
12:3-8 Pride is a sin in us by nature; we need to be cautioned and armed against it. All the saints make up one body in Christ, who is the Head of the body, and the common Centre of their unity. In the spiritual body, some are fitted for and called to one sort of work; others for another sort of work. We are to do all the good we can, one to another, and for the common benefit. If we duly thought about the powers we have, and how far we fail properly to improve them, it would humble us. But as we must not be proud of our talents, so we must take heed lest, under a pretence of humility and self-denial, we are slothful in laying out ourselves for the good of others. We must not say, I am nothing, therefore I will sit still, and do nothing; but, I am nothing in myself, and therefore I will lay out myself to the utmost, in the strength of the grace of Christ. Whatever our gifts or situations may be, let us try to employ ourselves humbly, diligently, cheerfully, and in simplicity; not seeking our own credit or profit, but the good of many, for this world and that which is to come. –Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Everybody has been given different gifts
We should revel in our differences. If you’re especially good at something, don’t boast about it, but use it to edify (or build up) one another. God didn’t give you that gift for your selfish pleasure. And, God will hold you accountable for the gifts He has given you. Consider the following parable because the principle is applicable…
Parable of the Three Servants
“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip.
“The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money.
“After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.’
“The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’
“The servant who had received the two bags of silver came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more.’
“The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’
“Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’
“But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’
“Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ (Matthew 25:14-30)
God wants you to use your gift
God has given each of us unique gifts and abilities, not just for our own benefit, but to serve others and glorify Him. He calls us to use these gifts in tangible ways, to reflect His love and care to those around us. The Bible is full of reminders that even the smallest acts of service—like offering a cup of water—are seen and valued by God. As we use our gifts to bless others, we fulfill God’s purpose for us and bring glory to His name. Here are some powerful reminders from Scripture about the importance of using our gifts in service to others.
“Anyone who receives you receives me, and anyone who receives me receives the Father who sent me. If you receive a prophet as one who speaks for God,m you will be given the same reward as a prophet. And if you receive righteous people because of their righteousness, you will be given a reward like theirs. And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.” (Matthew 10:40-42)
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’
“Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ (Matthew 25:34-40)
Please write to us or share a comment of encouragement about your service with your gift.
Featured image: “Share your good with others. Kindness, love, and appreciation are the greatest gifts you can give –Louise Hay” (cc) Creative Commons by shekharchopra85
Digging Deeper
- 101 broken people that God used anyway – Throughout the Bible, God demonstrates His love and grace by using broken and flawed people to accomplish His purposes.
- Every Believer is Called to Serve – Every believer is called to serve in various capacities, using their unique gifts for the edification of the church body and the glory of God.
- 7 ways to restore the joy of your salvation – Rediscover joy in your Christian journey! Embrace hope, seek medical help, confess sins, focus on Jesus, trust God, and serve others.