Grow in the Beauty of Christ’s Gifts

Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do His work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the LORD, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

THEN we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like truth. Instead we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ who is the head of His body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together PERFECTLY As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. Ephesians 4:7-16

We’re in the period of time Christians call “LENT”. We reflect on all the precious gifts we have been given through the priceless sacrifice of Jesus. Christ had to die and rise again so that we could be filled with the spiritual gifts. How wonderful to know that EACH ONE of us has been given unique gifts that fit our personality, life situations, and spheres of influence. We’re not given these gifts to set on a shelf. Rather we are entrusted with these valuable gifts to use them daily to BUILD UP THE BODY OF CHRIST, HIS CHURCH! God’s desire for us is to come together UNITED in our FAITH and that we GROW continually in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. He wants us to grow up into confident, mature Christians who have Jesus Christ as their LORD and Savior.

I like how J. B. Phillips says it, “His gifts were made that Christians might be properly equipped for their service, that the whole body might be built up until the time comes when, in the unity of common faith and common knowledge of the Son of God, we arrive at real maturity – that measure of development which is meant by ‘the fullness of Christ’.”

For me to come even remotely close to being filled to the fullness of Christ’s standard, means I have a L-O-N-G way to go. I need to be more aware of God through every part of my 24/7 life. I need to be in His word. I need to pray continually to Him. I need to be worshiping and glorifying His name. As the Westminster Catechism says, The chief end of man is to GLORIFY God and ENJOY Him forever. I pray I may keep that in my daily focus.

I’ve just started working in a greenhouse. We are getting ready to open and plants are being delivered daily. I’ve never done this type of work, so am learning how the plants need to be cared for, loved, tenderly planted, warmed, given food and drink. I would just sprinkle them all the same each day. But am learning that each plant, even those of the same variety, is uniquely different with individual needs of its own. The ladies were sharing how they need to “read” the plant so they know whether this one needs more or less water and more or less food.

God made us all unique individuals (Ps. 139 – we are fearfully and wonderfully made). He fills us with spiritual gifts that each one of us needs and can use to build up His church in the unique way and place He has placed us. When you pour out a petunia seed packet, they all look the same, but one will flower white, another red, and another purple. You can’t tell from the seed, but depending how it was created, it will blossom into what God planned it. We need to let God use us so we may be a blessing to others, drawing them closer to God, and reflecting His love and grace.