“The Bible says every
saint has been given gifts to benefit the body of Christ.
Here is a word to
you who think your gifts are inferior to those of other members of the body: Be
content with your condition. Great gifts lift a saint up a little
higher in the eyes of men, but they also tempt him to pride. Do not envy those
with great gifts; instead, pity and pray for them. It is hard for them to
escape the error of supposing that God's grace in them is their own doing. You
have a real advantage over them, for you have the help of their gifts but not
the temptation of their pride.
Here, now, are
some words of caution for you to whom God has given more or better gifts than
ordinary.
Pride wants to
grow where the best gifts have been bestowed. So beware of pride! The only
thing that will keep you from it is your humility. Remember to whom you wrestle
with-- spiritual wickednesses. Their ploy is to lift you up high in order to
give you a harder fall. They will try to convince you that your spiritual
accomplishments are a result of your own efforts and that you deserve the
credit for them. Surely you know this is not true! In case you have forgotten,
think back to what you were like before the Holy Spirit came to you with gifts
from God's storehouse. How can you be proud of another's bounty? You may be
able to impress other men with your gifts, but you will not impress God. He
knows where they all came from.
Where pride
flourishes, the body of Christ suffers. Had God given you gifts merely for your
own pleasure or edification, the sin of pride would not be quite so bad. But
when you use your gifts to lift yourself up, you tear down the body of Christ.
Your gifts are necessary to the health of the whole body, but they must be
administered properly. You must be careful to acknowledge that Christ is the
Great Physician; you are only the assistant who uses His instruments and
carries out His orders.”
Some confuse giftedness with maturity, authority or wisdom. Each of
these interconnects with our gifts but do not simply come as a result of our
gifts. It is important that each of us understands this and not fall into the
lie that those most gifted are more favored, or wise, have more authority or
are automatically more mature. In so doing we will help them not to fall short
of God’s plans for them and also help us not to follow their gifts instead of
the Lord who gives them.
