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. (Eph. 4:16)
Spiritual Gifts are God's enablement for everyone to do their part.
Written in the context of spiritual gifting, Ephesians 4:16 lets us know that every Christian has a part in the church that will be instrumental to the growth of the Body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:7 says, "Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good."
Serving one another through the use
of our spiritual gifts is not optional.
Since there is a limit on the time we can serve, we need to look for maximum effectiveness. Structuring our ministries around our giftedness will help us do that. Knowing where we are spiritually gifted will help us know where to put our focus, energy, and time. It will show us where we should plug into ministry.
But, we must follow:
God's design for the church
God's own character
God's principles in His Word
And, the use of our spiritual gifts must be exercised:
in His power
by His grace
You may be an individual Christian seeking to get a better grip on God's design and purposes for your life. You may be a church leader or teacher desiring to help your church operate more within the realm of gifting because you see the difference it makes when everybody does their part.
If you are an individual believer looking for your part: