Today’s Reading: Romans 12

“Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them… in proportion to our faith…” (Romans 12:6)

There is something so very simple about serving the Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, while the apostles called themselves bondservants, and we follow after their pattern, serving the Lord is not at all the burden of a slave, but the love of a bride, for it is the Lord Himself who supplies the grace and the faith for His work.

If we are Christ’s laborers in the harvest field, He has handed over His own sharpened sickle for us to use. As we harvest, we are told, like Boaz unto Ruth, to freely glean of the best of the crop, and to freely drink from the wells of salvation. We find our fill in our Redeemer's field where He has gifted us His portion!

Let us then consider two principles before us.

First, every member in the church has a different gift from Christ. "Having then gifts differing..." How quickly we forget this fundamental truth! Like a brutish child on Christmas we like to look around and envy gifts everyone else has has received, only to become discontent with ours. We complain, "I want to serve the Lord how that person is serving." Then we go about striving in our flesh to serve Christ in a way He has not commended.

But like David, who at the advent of facing Goliath, refused another man's armor — even the king's own armor — so too must we shed another man's armor to serve Christ. David wasn't a swordsman or infantry! David was a slinger and a shepherd boy. David didn’t grasp onto another man's sword, but instead a primitive stone from the common brook. Because David served the LORD as he was gifted, he took down the giant with ease. Beloved, it will be the same for us. Let us serve the Lord with how we are gifted, and be not discontent otherwise.

Second, every member in the church has been given the grace and the proportion of faith to use their gift. "According to the grace given to us... according to the proportion of our faith." Remember this! As Christ has gifted you, He has likewise supplied you with every available means for you to use it by grace and faith. He does not send us out to accomplish His will naked and wanting, but fully equipped and ready. What a comfort!

Nonetheless, we tend to err in this matter either by refusing to trust that we have the grace for our gift or by attempting to exercise our gift beyond our proportion of faith. I've seen men who are clearly gifted by Christ for a particular duty, but become paralyzed by the thought of failing the Lord. Is this you? If so, do not be afraid. If Christ has gifted you, then He has supplied you with His grace to use it! You cannot fail God in God’s grace. On the other spectrum, I’ve seen men who look to the greats, like George Muller or Hudson Taylor, and say, "I wish I could be a man of faith like that! But I’m not.” Is this you? Do not think such things, for these men were only serving in proportion to their faith. As Christ called them, so He calls you. Do not try to go beyond the faith you have, for then you would be exercising your gift without faith, and without faith it is impossible to please God.

I think every Christian, as they grow, finds that they fall out of bounds in one of these two areas. But thank Christ for the Holy Spirit who tenderly shows us the plumb line of grace and faith, and reminds us of the joy of serving Him by these means.

“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.” (1 Corinthians 12:4–6)