God will never gift us with anything that is only beneficial to ourselves.
When each of us receives the Holy Spirit, we are given spiritual gifts. But why? God gives us these gifts to help us fulfill the purpose with which we were created. Just as God created every one of us uniquely, we each have a unique set of gifts. Because we have all been gifted to pursue a calling unlike anyone else’s, we each play a unique role in the functioning of the body of Christ.
For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. Romans 12:4-5 NIV
So what do I mean by the “body of Christ”? Well, for starters, it is important to note that there is only one body. Every person on the earth who belongs to the body of Christ belongs to the same body. For the body of Christ to be the most effective, we must all work and use our gifts together. We cannot be effective in working together unless we connect with those around us and know how we can use our gifts to best support them.
How can you use your gifts to support those around you? How could you use help from those around you to support you in your calling?
When we work together in using our gifts and living out our callings, we create unity. Unlike the enemy who looks to divide us wherever possible, the God we serve is a God of unity. When we live united in Christ and with one another, it is both good and pleasing.
How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! Psalm 133:1 NIV
This unity occurs when we live in community with other believers. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we become born again of the Spirit and are children of God. Just as any human child needs cared for, it is important we are constantly encouraging those around us who are children of God to grow in their faith. God uses us as instruments to sharpen one another.
As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17 NIV
How has God used you as an instrument to sharpen those around you?