Gifts of Office

Today’s Bible Reading:  Ecclesiastes 7-9; Ephesians 4

Journal Entry on a passage from today’s reading:

Topic: God-given Gifts

SCRIPTURE:  Ephesians 4:7, 11-13

⁷ …to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it…

¹¹ It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, ¹² to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up ¹³ until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. (Eph 4:7, 11-13 NIV)

OBSERVATION:

In a previous journal entry we looked briefly at “Motivational Gifts” (May 31, Ro 12:4-8). Those seven gifts may aptly be called “Gifts of the Father”—gifts our Creator endowed us with when He formed us—our inborn giftedness—what we were made by our Creator to be. Here in Ephesians 4 is another list of five gifts which can clearly be identified as “Gifts of the Son”—gifts of office leadership to which “Christ” calls some. Everyone has been uniquely created with primary and secondary motivational gifts giving each individual a one-of-a-kind spiritual fingerprint so to speak. Every individual has indeed been created for a specific purpose or calling. However, not everyone will necessarily be called to one of these office gifts. These are leadership gifts specifically given as Christ chooses, “to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up” (v. 12).

APPLICATION:

I am blessed to have discovered my own personal blend of motivational gifts. My primary gift is that of an exhorter or encourager, with strong secondary gifts of teaching and administration. I am also honored to have been called by my Savior to serve in the office gift of teacher in His Body (that’s all of you who are believers in Christ). So my question to you, dear reader: Have you yet come to realize your motivational gifting? God is not keeping it a secret from you. You can know how He has gifted you and what your purpose—your personal calling—in life is. Next question: Are you willing, if Christ should so choose you, to accept His call to serve in an office of apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor or teacher, to prepare other believers and to thus strengthen—“build up”—the body of Christ?

PRAYER:

Lord, You have created each individual for a purpose. Help me to fulfill my calling to lead people to first come to know a personal relationship with You for themselves, and then come to realize their own place within Your Body—a place of fulfillment and joy in life that cannot be known in any other but in You. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.  –AP

_____________

NOTE: Interested in enrolling in a detailed course of study on discovering your own God-given gifts and personal calling? Inquire to Metro School of Ministry about college level course LD101 “Foundations for Leadership.” Send email inquiries to: WFC Metro School of Ministry, andy@gowaterfront.org