For
just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the
same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually
members one of another. Since we have
gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise
them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if
service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts,
in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with
diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. Romans 12:4-8 NASB
One
of the things I liked to do when I was teaching Sunday School was to start the
class by asking a question which would help focus attention on the subject we
were about to discuss. Since we brought
up the subject of fitness last week, I would like to take that a step further
today and start by asking this question; “does studying the Bible make you a
stronger believer, or just a smarter one?”
Have
you ever begun an exercise program on your own and failed miserably? Have you ever wondered why? Could it possibly be that it was because you
had no idea how to go about it, and without a plan your efforts were wasted? Something that I was taught early on about
exercise and fitness was to identify my weaknesses, and then to program my
exercise plan to target those with the idea in mind that the goal was to
achieve an overall and balanced stronger body.
Our spiritual fitness goals should be much the same and to do that means
a balance between knowledge and service.
If
you study Paul’s letters in the New Testament, you will find as I did that
quite often he describes the life of a believer in such a way as to emphasize
the importance of both studying and then serving. In his letter to Timothy Paul tells us to
study in order to show our commitment to God, and here in Romans Paul tells us
to exercise. In chapter twelve from his
letter to the Romans, Paul states that not only do we all have gifts given to
us by God, but each of us is to exercise those gifts as our responsibility as
part of the body of Christ. In order to
do that, our first step should be to study with the idea of identifying what
our gift is so that we can then plan how to exercise it.
Of
course, when it comes to exercising our gift, we do that in a public way as
part of the body serving others. I
suppose in a way, Paul is telling us that our gift is to be exercised in public
and not at home where no one sees us.
Having been a member of several gyms, and having worked out in public
for longer than I can remember, I have some interesting memories of some of the
individuals I have had occasion to observe while doing so. It might be just me, but it certainly seems
that quite a few people seem to grow a larger head while trying to grow their
other muscles too. I think many of us
have seen those people walking around the gym on more than one occasion, and
laughing inside at how they appear to others.
Call
me crazy, but this is the first thing that came to my mind when I read what
Paul had to say in the rest of this chapter when he talks about the importance
of our attitude when serving others using our gifts.
Let
love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one
another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in
diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope,
persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the
needs of the saints, practicing hospitality. Bless those who
persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with
those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty
in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation.
Never
pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all
men. If
possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own
revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written,
“VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord. “BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS
HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU
WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil
with good. Romans 12:9-21 NASB
I
find it interesting that Paul first tells us to find our gift so that we can
serve the body, then spends the rest of the chapter telling us to “check our
attitude” while doing so. To be sure, as
much as we might hate to admit it, I’m sure many of us have observed others in
the body who we think need to study this part of Paul’s letter, and without a
doubt we should look at ourselves in the mirror as well. Why is that?
Although the knowledge we obtain comes from our diligence in study of
the Word, the power to perform service comes not from our own efforts, but from
the Holy Spirit who lives inside.
“But you shall receive power when the Holy
Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in
all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8
NKJV
No
one knows our limitations more than the one who created us, so in His infinite
wisdom He sent the Holy Spirit to indwell those who believe as a source of the
power we need to serve Him with our gifts.
This of course, removes any possibility of using the excuse of lacking
the strength to do anything the Father might ask us to do. The source of our power comes from the Holy
Spirit and there is nothing God will ever ask of us that we are not capable to
do with the Spirit’s help. Although we
might be weak as kittens, we have the strength of lions thanks to the power of
the Holy Spirit.
Now to
Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think,
according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus
to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Ephesians
3:20-21 NKJV
The
more we exercise our muscles, the stronger we get. The more we exercise our gifts using the
power of the Holy Spirit, the stronger our confidence grows with the knowledge
that God can do “exceedingly abundantly” more than we could ever imagine. Start this New Year by committing to a
spiritual exercise program and see just how much God can accomplish when we
choose to serve Him with the gifts He has given us.
Keep
watching.
