InSync: When God Says 'GO,' Don't Say 'NO'

InSync 4

When God Says GO, Don't Say NO

by Andy Borero

The past blog entries have been focused on the third aspect of God: the Holy Spirit. We’ve learned that the Spirit is not a mere fog or ghost that haunts us. He serves as our guide, God in the Spirit, our Spiritual mentor who helps us in our everyday life.  We’ve also learned the importance of keeping in step with the Spirit in order to be assured of straightforward life.

Now that we’re informed of the real purpose of the Holy Spirit, it’s about time that we respond.

Imagine a full to the brim glass of mango shake. Obviously, the glass is full and doesn’t need a refill for another five minutes. But what if your friend suddenly decides to pour another pitcher into the glass? It’s a no-brainer: the glass will overflow. The excess shake will spill from the glass unto the table cloth.

In the same way, when you’re filled with the Holy Spirit, there’s this feeling that you just can’t contain it and you gotta share it with someone else. SERVICE of others is the response that we’re looking at.

If you were asked “What gift would you like most in the world?” what would be your response?

An IPhone 5C?

Your crush in a box with matching ribbons?

The cutest puppy that makes you wanna squish it?

This blog entry plans on discussing a different type of gift. It’s not a tangible, material type of gift. The gift we’re talking about is the type that only our God can give and they’re called SPIRITUAL GIFTS.

So, what are they supposed to be?

Spiritual Gifts are considered vital when it comes to serving God in the most effective manner. Their purpose is to serve others but sometimes, our hesitation in serving gets in the way. When we’re asked to do something that requires a step of faith, we find ourselves backing away and the word NO just screams aloud in our heads.

Today, it’s about time to step it up a notch.

When God says GO, don’t say NO.

I. What are Spiritual Gifts?

These are divine abilities given by distributed by the Holy Spirit to every believer, according to God’s design and for the common good of every one.

There are 4 important highlights about them:

- It is given to every believer

A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church

1 Corinthians 12:7

The moment we genuinely surrendered our lives to Christ, God bestowed upon us these spiritual gifts to be used in service of His church. It’s good to know that no one is exempted from being given these gifts because it’s an automatic occurrence once we give ourselves to Jesus.

- It is determined by God

It is the one and only Holy Spirit who distributes these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have

1 Corinthians 12:11

We can’t choose our gifts. God is the one who determines this, based on His grace and purpose. Therefore, we have no right to demand the gift we want from God. He is God after all and He knows what’s best.

- It is to be used to serve others

As 1 Corinthians 12:7 says, the gifts we have are to be used in service of others. They cannot satisfy selfish motives and self-seeking ambitions. When we serve in ministries, we should always aim for the betterment of our fellowmen first before our own wants.

- It’s not something we can brag about

The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up only one body. So it is with the body of the Christ

1 Corinthians 12:12

One can never claim he has a superior gift compared to the others. There’s no such thing as a least important gift nor is there a more important gift. Every function in the ministry is VITAL. There should be humility when we serve.

II. What is the fruit of the Holy Spirit?

We should use our Spiritual Gifts as means for showing love to others. However, this is an impossible task on our own cause let’s face it: we are selfish beings. By default, we don’t want to share our candy. We want all the attention to ourselves. That’s why it’s important to be aware of the Holy Spirit and it’s fruit.

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23

We can’t produce this Fruit by ourselves. Nope, we need the aid of a supernatural being.

Notice also that the Bible used the word FRUIT instead of FRUITS. No, it’s not a grammatical error. All the nine fruits are boiled down into one big fruit. It’s impossible to have all the other eight fruits when we don’t have LOVE.

The fruit can be compared to GRAPES. They are all connected to one vine. If one is growing, so will the others.

What’s the difference between the fruit and the gifts?

Fruit – refers to the character of a Christian, which is an inward evidence of the Holy Spirit working in him.

Gift – refers to the service of a Christian, which is an outward result of the inner transformation.

You might be asking: “Is there a difference between spiritual gifts and talent?”

There are times when we mistaken our talents such as singing, dancing, acting, etc. for spiritual gifts. Here’s what differs one from the other:

Talents

-These are abilities given at birth.

-These are already possessed, whether or not you have a relationship with Christ.

-These are merely used for performances.

Spiritual Gifts

-These are abilities given at spiritual birth.

-These can only be possessed once a person genuinely starts a relationship with Christ.

-These are used for the common good.

There are numerous types of spiritual gifts which can be bestowed on you upon your acceptance of Christ. Wanna know them all?

Faith

This is the ability to envision what needs to be done, and to trust God to accomplish it despite its impossibility to most people.

Administration

This is the ability to give direction and make decisions on behalf of others that result in efficient operation and accomplishment of goals. This includes the ability to organize people, things, information, finances, etc.

Helps   

This is the ability to joyfully work alongside another and help that person complete the task God has given them.

Hospitality

This is the ability to welcome strangers and entertain guests, with great joy and kindness so that they become friends.

Teaching

This is the ability to understand and communicate biblical truth in a clear and relevant manner, so that there is understanding and application.

Exhortation

This is the ability to motivate, encourage, and console others, so they mature in their walk with Jesus.

Wisdom

This is the ability to have insight into people and situations, which is not obvious to an average person.

Now that we know the definition of the spiritual gifts, it’s about time we figure out how we could discover them on our own.

First step would be to PRAY. Let the Lord show you where you belong.

Second step would be to KNOW WHERE YOUR PASSION LIES.

Third step: GET FEEDBACK FROM FELLOW CHRISTIANS. See what they think!

Final step: ASSESS YOURSELF. Is this where God really wants you to be?

Serving others should be considered as an honor. It’s amazing to be a channel of God’s goodess. In a ministry, we are God’s instruments and it should feel great that He is using us to fulfil His work. It’s also an opportunity to experience God when we are faced with challenges when we serve. Temptations are always there and it’s good to know that the Lord has our back when we choose to fight off Satan and keep on fixing our eyes on Him.

Finally, it’s a blessing to witness changed lives. Our service is worth it when a soul comes to the Good Lord. All that hard work- priceless!

Be eager in discovering your Spiritual Gifts, and after which, ask God to give you the desire to serve. Intentionally pray about where you can serve, seek His Word, and listen to His voice, because when God says “Go,” you cannot say “No.”

Written by Ashley Bernadette Petallano (c)