Service | Tactical Christianity

What Is Your Gift?

by R. Herbert | Jul 30, 2017 | Service

The New Testament is clear in its teaching that every Christian is given one or more “gifts” through the Spirit of God (Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12:7-11, etc.). These gifts include the propensity or ability for serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, leading, healing and many other things. These gifts are given to enable the individual to better serve the Church and the world at large, and we are instructed to be sure to use them (1 Peter 4:10). But many Christians never find or fully utilize their own unique gifts – sometimes because they do not realize they have been given them, or because they have never attempted to identify what those gifts may be.

Even for those who understand the role of special talents or gifts in the Church, the question inevitably comes to mind – How do I know what my gift is? In this article we will look at a number of points that can help us answer that question.

Ask to See Your Gift

The starting point in ascertaining what gift we may have been given is always to ask to see the gift! We should pray to be shown what gift or gifts may have been bestowed on us and for help to utilize them as we should. Asking God this question presumes we will be listening for an answer; a good place to start is in our regular study of the Bible. Some people find it helpful to do a word search to study the specific scriptures that mention gifts, but we should be careful to read these scriptures in context. For example, Paul’s first epistle to the Corinthian church has a number of verses about spiritual gifts – we could say that 1 Corinthians is the Bible’s “gift book.” But other verses in the letter help us to see gifts in perspective and to understand how they are to be properly used. We should also remember that biblical examples of gifts given to people are not always labeled as such – we need to stay alert to examples of gifts and their use in the Scriptures whenever we study in order to come to fully appreciate and understand the range of gifts and the roles that they play.

Examine Yourself

Many people presume that their gift is something mysterious that has been somehow poured into them regardless of their personalities, background and aptitudes. This is always possible, but experience shows that more frequently God blesses us by enhancing abilities with which we were born and interests that we have already developed. It is rare indeed for Christians who feel sure they understand the nature of their own gifts to feel that they involve doing things they do not enjoy or feel a natural affinity for. We see a wonderful example of this in the 1981 movie Chariots of Fire when the Christian Olympic runner Eric Liddell explained why he ran: “I believe God made me … fast! And when I run I feel His pleasure.” If we know we have a natural proclivity, talent or skill, it is more than likely that we already know what our gift is. Humanly we enjoy what we are good at – and what we are good at is usually our gift.

Get Counsel

Although we may feel that no one knows us better than we know ourselves, it can be extremely helpful to get the opinions of those who know us well as to what our significant strengths might be. Because we are talking about spiritual gifts, we should, of course, seek the advice of those who are of like mind to us and who understand the question from a spiritual perspective. In that sense, pastors and friends in our churches may be the best ones to ask. I remember a situation where a number of people were discussing a problem that had arisen in a local church. The responses varied greatly, from those who said “we need to pray about this” to those who said “maybe there is a bright side to this problem,“ and others who immediately suggested action to alleviate the problem. These responses fit the characteristics and doubtless the gifts of each individual – in this case the prayer warriors, the encouragers, and the leaders. Other people see how we act and react in situations like this and can often see where our strengths lie.

Experiment

If we are still unsure of our gifts, one of the best ways to identify and ascertain talents we may have been given is to throw ourselves into a wide range of service activities – to serve in whatever opportunity comes our way. It is often in doing something that we realize we are good at it; a good sign that we have found our gift is the satisfaction we feel when we utilize it. But this takes a certain amount of courage and determination to experiment until we find what works best – not only for us, but also for those we are trying to serve. And we need not limit ourselves to the idea of only one gift. Sometimes we are given multiple gifts and it is only in experimenting that we discover some of the less obvious ones. Another fact to remember is that some gifts are given only for a time – while a specific need exists. Staying flexible and being willing to experiment in our service can help us find new gifts when they are bestowed as circumstances and needs change.

Above All

In considering our gifts and seeking to develop and use them as best we can, we should never lose sight of the fact that although our gifts are given for service, we can still serve apart from the use of any particular specialized gift. Sometimes people become worried or even obsessive about trying to find “their” gift, but gifts are never for our own good – they are always for the good of others – and the end is more important than the means. If it is not clear what your special gift is – even after following the principles mentioned above – you need not worry or become discouraged. Sometimes we just need to concentrate on serving as well as we can in any way we have opportunity. Sometimes it is the ability to do just that … that is our gift.

Caesar and the Servant: I Have Come to …

by R. Herbert | Feb 19, 2017 | Service

Julius Caesar

A number of ancient historians recorded the famous words of Julius Caesar “Veni, vidi, vici” – “I came, I saw, I conquered” – which typified the great Roman general’s career and life as the individual whose achievements ultimately formed the foundation of the Roman Empire.

If we look at the life of Jesus of Nazareth – who instituted a far greater kingdom: the Kingdom of God – do we find any parallel saying or expression that typifies the life and achievements of the Messiah in his human life? The answer is perhaps clearer than you may have realized.

Time and again during his ministry Jesus told his disciples and those who heard him “I have come to ….” And then he added a specific task that he would accomplish. Notice an example from each of the Gospels where Jesus said he had come to do certain things: “I have come …

… to fulfil the law” (Matthew 5:17)
… so I can preach” (Mark 1:38)
… to call sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32)
… to bear witness to the truth” (John 18:37).

When we look at these and other “I have come to …” statements of Christ, we see something regarding the range of tasks he would accomplish. All of these things involved action and are a far cry from the passive person Jesus is often believed to have been. This active involvement is particularly clear in the metaphorical reasons he stated for his coming: “I have come …

… to send a sword, and to set men at variance” (Matthew 10:34-35)
… to send fire on the earth” (Luke 12:49).

Whenever Jesus spoke literally of his purposes and what he would achieve, we find the same active approach. But Christ’s accomplishments were not simply actions that would elevate himself – they were, of course, for the good of others: “I have come …

… to save men’s lives” (Luke 9:56)
…that they may have life, and may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).

Ultimately, these purposes and accomplishments can be seen in Jesus’ statement: “I have come down from heaven to do the will of Him that sent Me” (John 6:38-39). That will can be summarized in only two words: “I have come …

… to serve” (Matthew 20:28)

Caesar’s self-elevating “I came, I saw, I conquered” pales into insignificance compared to the future coming of Christ the King (Revelation 11:15). But even at the time of his first coming, under the shadow of self-glorying emperors, the Son of God showed that true glory is not to be found in self-elevation and self-service, but in the elevation of God’s purposes and the service of others. Caesar’s so-called immortal summary “I came, I saw, I conquered” is surpassed in the eternal significance of what would be a fitting summary for the life of Christ: “I came, I saw, I served.”

As We Serve, We Grow

by R. Herbert | Feb 5, 2017 | Service

“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:5-6).

The Church at Philippi in Asia Minor is often said to have been Paul’s favorite congregation. It is not that he did not love all those with whom he worked, of course, but his letter to the Philippians shows a special affection for them and their dedication to the work of God.

As he begins his epistle Paul states how he gives continual thanks for the Philippians because of their “partnership in the gospel” (vs. 5), but then he continues the thought by saying that their work in the gospel gave him great confidence that God would complete his work of transformation in them.

This is a vital thought in Paul’s theology. He is not saying, of course, that because of the Philippians’ good deeds God will complete his work in them – we have all of Paul’s letters to show that this could not be what he meant. So what exactly did Paul mean?

When we read the epistle to Philippi in its entirety, it is clear that Paul was stressing his certainty that because of their dedication to the work of God and the love that showed, the Philippians would naturally be living in such a way that God would be able to fulfill his purpose in them as individuals. Look at what Paul tells us a few verses later in the first chapter:

“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:9-11).

Here, if we need to see it, we find clear expression of the fact that Paul is not talking about the Philippians’ own works of righteousness. He specifically states that what they are doing is a result of their being “filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ” (vs. 10b). But Paul makes it equally clear that they will be filled with this fruit of righteousness as they continue to grow in love (vss. 9, 11).

Putting all these verses together, we see that Paul equates the Philippians’ love with their partnership in the Gospel – their selfless dedication to the salvation of others. He shows (in verses 6 and 10) that that the expression of that love through God’s work will lead to their own growth.

If this seems in any way like complex theology, its principle is profoundly simple: the more we concentrate on the welfare and development of others, the more God can and will develop us personally. It is a simple truth that the way to maximum spiritual transformation and growth is often not through self-focused spiritual exercise, but through the other-focused work of love that we are called to do.

Giving What We Receive

by R. Herbert | Mar 13, 2016 | Giving, Service

“I do give a portion of what I earn each month,” April confided to her Christian friend, “but I feel I could be doing more.” Do you ever get that feeling? Perhaps we all do, and perhaps we all should.

Most Christians understand the principle of being “blessed to be a blessing” (Genesis 12:2-3): that one of the reasons God blesses us is to enable us to help others; but many of us limit the understanding of that principle to financial and material blessings. Those things are certainly an important part of our giving, but we do not need to stop there. While we may acknowledge intellectually that life is much more than just money and material things, it’s sometimes hard to really apply that understanding as we should. Often we do not see blessings that we can share with others because we do not always think of them as an abundance of something that other people need.

The apostle Paul stresses our ability to help others in a number of non-material ways – beyond sharing the truth with them – and perhaps nowhere more so than in his letters to the Galatians and Romans where we find similar themes expounded. Here are four non-material blessings to which Paul alludes directly or indirectly in those letters – gifts that we can share with others:

Time: “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (Galatians 6:10). We may know this scripture well, but we don’t always equate opportunity with time. Are you retired? Between jobs? Have some time on your hands? Ask yourself to what extent you give of the time you have and think about how you can share the blessing of time you have been given.

Health: “We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves” (Romans 15:1). Paul’s mention of this principle is in a wider context than just physical health, but it does apply there. Do you enjoy good health – or even reasonably good health? Ask yourself to what extent you give of the health you have and think about how you can share the blessing of health you have been given. It could be in service or in simple encouragement to those in poor health.

Skills: “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us…” (Romans 12:6). Although Paul is talking primarily about spiritual gifts in Romans 12, the principle applies in other areas, just as he speaks of gifts of teaching, giving and leading (vss. 7-8). Do you have specialized knowledge or training in an area with which you can help others? If you have medical, financial or legal training there are a number of ways you can help those in need, but there are many other types of knowledge that can be shared by helping those without the training you may have.

Peace of mind: “Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification” (Romans 14:19). Primarily, in this verse, Paul is speaking about peace as the opposite of strife, yet the principle can be applied to the “mutual edification” that comes from helping others to develop the peace of mind we may have. Peace of mind means a simple absence of warring emotions, doubts and fears. If we have that blessing, it is one we can share if we look for opportunities to do so.

These are just some basic areas in which we can share the non-material blessings we have. Even if we are poor, we may have time we can give. If we do not have enough time, we may have health we can share; if not enough health, we may have knowledge or skills we can use to help others. Even if we have none of these things, if we have peace of mind, that is in itself a blessing that we can share with others. We just need to get into the habit of seeing the blessings we have and asking ourselves what we can do to share those non-material things – to fulfill the purpose of being blessed to be a blessing to others.

A Burden to Carry – or Not?

by R. Herbert | Apr 19, 2015 | Difficult Scriptures, Service, Updates

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ … for each one should carry their own load” (Galatians 6:2-5).

On the surface, these two statements of the apostle Paul – only a few words from each other – certainly seem contradictory, but are they?

First, we should recognize that ancient literature often compares and contrasts opposite situations – just as in the biblical proverbs that say “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him” (Proverbs 26:4) and “Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes” (Proverbs 26:5). The two thoughts are complementary, each giving part of the story. Paul frequently uses this same technique of contrasting opposites in his epistles (for example, Philippians 2:12-13, 2 Corinthians 6:8-10, 2 Corinthians 7:10, 2 Corinthians 12:10), and what Paul states in Galatians 6 is complementary in the same way.

When Paul tells us we should carry each other’s burdens then that we must carry our own loads, he uses two slightly different words. The first word, translated “burdens” in verse 2 (Greek baré), always connotes the weight of the burdens and stresses the “burdensome” nature of what is carried. The word translated “load” in verse 5 (phortion) was often applied to the pack carried by a soldier on the march. It can connote something heavy or light, whatever has been assigned to the individual. It is the word Christ used when he said “My yoke is easy, and my load is light” (Matthew 11:30) and when he spoke of the heavy loads the Pharisees placed on their followers (Matthew 23:4).

We see what Paul had in mind regarding the load each one must carry when we look at the immediately preceding verse: “Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else” (Galatians 6:4). Paul shows here that rather than comparing ourselves unwisely with others, we should look at our own situations and “test” or check our own standing, because we all stand alone before God in terms of His assessment. Paul is stressing – as he states next – that each person has individual responsibilities that no one else can carry. We must prove own standing before God, as no one can perform our religion or fulfill our beliefs for us. That is the “pack” assigned to us for our march. On the other hand, life has many difficulties and problems that weigh us down, and Paul reminds us that these are burdens we can help each other with.

So, Paul’s meaning is clear. We are all given the responsibilities of our faith to bear in life and these are things we must shoulder and bear willingly as good soldiers on the route march to which we have been called. Yet, if we are walking with God and not entirely by our own strength, as Christ showed, those loads need not be oppressive or heavy. On the other hand, every one of us carries the weight of personal problems and difficulties which are just part of life. We can certainly look to God for extra help in times when those burdens become oppressive – and one of the ways He answers that prayer is through help given us by fellow believers.

We all have a burden we are expected to carry, but the more closely we walk with God the lighter it seems – and the more we are able to help those who need help with their own burdens.

What the Cavemen Learned

by R. Herbert | Sep 14, 2014 | Problems, Service, Strategic Notes

I’m not talking about prehistoric Neanderthal or Cro-Magnon “cavemen” here – I’m actually thinking of two men of God who at different times in biblical history both learned important lessons at the back of a cave.

These men were both successful in their own fields – one a warrior and one a man of religion. Both were used to life around palaces and nice homes, but both men lost everything they had and fled in depression and fear for their lives – to the back of a cave.

The first man was King David. 1 Samuel 22 tells us that when the jealous Saul stepped up his campaign to kill the young shepherd-warrior, David finally fled to a mountain cave where he holed up in depression, frustration and fear. The other man was Elijah, and in 1 Kings 19 we see that when the wicked Jezebel threatened his life, Elijah also “caved” under the pressure and ran for many miles, to the back of a cave on Mount Horheb – where he stayed, apparently in fear, frustration and anger.

There are times in our lives when psychologically we find ourselves in the back of a cave, too. We understand that some depression is physically caused and must be treated as such, but sometimes we find ourselves in the dark cave of depression or despair due to discouragement and difficulties. This is because fleeing to the inner parts of our minds is a very human reaction and sometimes seems like the only way to survive. Unfortunately, it becomes easy to stay there. It’s not that we are comfortable in the cave of depression, but the longer we stay there, the harder it becomes to leave. That’s why in both biblical stories of God’s servants who fled to physical caves, the first thing we see in the way God turned these situations around was that he commanded both men to leave the cave they were in.

In David’s case, God sent a prophet to David to specifically tell him he had spent enough time in the cave and that it was time to leave. “… The prophet Gad said to David, ‘Do not stay in the [cave] stronghold’” (1 Samuel 22:5), so, uncomfortable as it was to do, at God’s command David left the cave. We see exactly the same with Elijah. “The Lord said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord …’” (1 Kings 19:11). God patiently listened to the reasons Elijah gave for his depression, anger and fear, but he nevertheless firmly told him to come out of the cave. It probably wasn’t psychologically easy for them, but both men obeyed in faith. They may not have seen a reason to leave the cave, yet once they realized it was God’s will they obeyed.

So, God understands when we sometimes flee to the cave, but he is just as clear in telling us we must not stay there. And God goes a step further – as the wise Physician he is, he prescribes what we need in order to stay out of the cave. In both the stories of David and of Elijah, God prescribed exactly the same spiritual medicine. When he instructed David to leave the cave, we see the next thing he did was to tell David to go help the people of Keilah who were being attacked by the Philistines: “Go, attack the Philistines and save Keilah” (1 Samuel 23:1-2). And when Elijah obediently stepped out of his cave, God immediately told him to go to Damascus and instructed him: “… When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat …” (1 Kings 19:15-16).

God doesn’t just tell us to pull ourselves together and leave the cave of depression. He tells us to leave – and to go help someone who needs help. Finding ourselves in a “cave” is something that even some of the greatest of God’s servants have experienced, but the way out was the same for them as it is for us. We overcome this problem only when we realize God doesn’t want us to live in the cave and that his prescription for cave fever is often to go help someone. It’s as though God knows that the only way for us to effectively stay out of the cave is not just to get busy, but to get busy serving others.

That is how God helps us get our focus off our own problems – by getting us to focus on and help others whose problems are so often so much worse than our own.

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