Gifts? What Gifts?

Ephesians 4:14-16 (NRSV)
We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people's trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body's growth in building itself up in love.

I think we are all familiar with the concept that we are all members of the body of Christ. I Corinthians 12, in particular, helps us visualize ourselves as the hands, feet, eyes, and ears of the body. But with this verse from Ephesians, I am seeing a slightly different image. Here, I am seeing red bloods cells whose gift is the ability to absorb oxygen in the lungs and deliver it to other parts of the body. I am seeing muscle fibers which have been gifted with the ability to contract and relax. I am seeing neurons capable of receiving a signal and delivering it elsewhere. All of these individuals are joined and knit together with ligaments and connective tissue. All are working properly according to the gifts which they have been given. What a beautiful, rhythmic, effortless, graceful and perfect model for church health and growth.

The key here, it seems to me, hinges on the ability of each of us to discover our God-given gifts and use them under His continuous direction. I see a lot of churches focusing on programs, publicity, events, and seeker-friendly formats to promote church growth. And if you only count the numbers, they often appear to be successful. But are we missing something here?

Is my church focused on discovering and using our gifts? Is my church equipping us for servant work; encouraging us when we think we are using our gifts? Is my church teaching me how to be in constant communication with the head of my church, who is Christ the Lord? Or is my church teaching me to be a spectator.

Is a church packed full of spectators really the church that God intended?

I think we all know the answers to these questions. But these last couple weeks, I am asking myself whether I am doing all I can with the gifts that I have been given. Do I even know what they all are?

Some day, when I finally meet my Savior face-to-face, I expect Him to ask me, "So, Jim. What did you do with those gifts I gave you?"

Right now, I am not sure what my answer would be. But I have faith that as long as I keeping looking, and keep using the ones I know about under His direction, I'll be equipped with an answer when the time comes.