Saved to Serve

The phrase from Exodus 8:1 “let my people go, so they may serve Me” was on my mind all this week. As you know I’ve been somewhat pushy with the Spiritual Gifts discovery process during the last two months. To some may attitude may even appear to be limiting, excluding, especially for those who for some reason did not feel like taking the inventory.
Visiting people in the last couple of weeks and contemplating on your questions about this whole process I have to admit: we cannot limit the Holy Spirit to the bounds of some technical inventory. The Spirit gives Gifts as it pleases Him (1st Corinthians 12:11) You may receive a new gift tomorrow, which you did not have yesterday when you completed the survey.
Some of you asked a direct question about all this: how valid is this survey? How scientifically accurate is the analysis? What is the purpose of all this? Let me state my point officially:

1. Your willingness to share your giftedness would ease the work of the Nominating Committee.
   
2. It would give your pastor a better idea of your giftedness.
   
3. The most important reason: it causes you to question your calling, your giftedness, and how you use God given gifts.
   

And if this whole ordeal caused you to think for a moment about Spiritual Gifts in your life – mission is accomplished!!!
I encourage you to seek out your spiritual gifts and to use them for God’s glory and for edification of God’s people. If you don’t feel that the questioner was for you – just stop me in the hallway, or write me a note, or just tell someone on the Nominating Committee what is your area of interest, or at least pray that your peers would recognize that you have a ministry!
When you willingly declare “Here I am! Send Me!” – Holy Spirit will give necessary giftedness and send you into ministry. In the days of Apostles they did not have time to collect questioners. Recognizing urgent needs they laid hands and commissioned spiritual people to go, and as they went the Spirit moved and furnished them with all necessary gifts. They knew that they were saved to serve!
It is a high time in the Church when we come to pray and commission people to serve urgent needs and essential ministries. Share your gifts, and pray for more spiritual giftedness to be poured in our midst. And remember – we are saved to serve!

Do you serve? Are you saved?