Read Ephesians 4:7-16.

Every time a person is born again, every time a person repents of their sins and receives Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, the Lord Christ gives them a spiritual birthday gift.

A spiritual gift from the Lord is not just any old gift. It’s not some bargain-basement, last-minute, generic present. God gives His children gifts that are perfectly designed, perfectly suited, and perfectly fitted for each recipient. Each one is tailor-made. That is why it is such a tragedy when a gift goes unused. You see, Jesus is the conquering King—victorious over Satan at the cross. He came and set the captives free—you and me and all who come to believe in Him—and, drawing us into His victory parade, He has distributed to us the spoils: a spiritual gift for which He paid a colossal price (see Ephesians 4:8, Psalm 68:18).

Because we have each been given at least one unique spiritual gift, no one Christian can do the work of another. That’s how God willed it. This is how God decided the church should function. It is such an important matter that the apostle Paul addressed it at length in three different places: Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12-14, and Ephesians 4.

When the church—that is, the body of Christ—does not have everyone exercising their spiritual gift, it is an unhealthy body. It is sick and decaying. So, when we pretend our gifts don’t matter, or when we believe we don’t have to minister with our gifts, we neglect to participate in the good and needed works God has prepared for us to do. Too many in the church have become spectators rather than a fully functioning body.

Too often, people come to church and think, What can this church do for me? That is the wrong question. That is a self-centered, worldly question. What we all ought to be asking is How can I use my spiritual gifts to serve the church and build others up in the faith? Friends, that’s where joy is found. This is how “we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head” (Ephesians 4:15)—that is, Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for enduring the cross, my just punishment for my sin. Thank You for saving me, that I can enjoy a glorious purpose and good works prepared for me to do. Empower me to recognize the gifts You have secured for me and to use them for Your will on this earth. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work” (Ephesians 4:16).

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