Working DNA
We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. (NIV) Romans 12:6
Given – Take three steps backward. Verse 3 uses the phrase, “according to the measure of faith God has given you.” That previous verse sets the stage for this one. Remember that the measure (metron) is not a quantity but rather a yardstick. God gives the standard. You use it. Now Paul says that God gives something else – a gift – a charisma. God gives. You use. You don’t get a choice about which gift you are given, just as you don’t get a choice about the measuring standard. God sets the bar and delivers the equipment. Your job is to put it to use.
If we read this verse in Greek, we might see the emphasis more clearly. You see, the translation “we have different gifts,” is not really in the Greek text. In the Greek, there is only the word “having.” Literally, the text says, “having differing gifts according to the grace.” Why is this important? Because it further emphasizes the source – the Giver – and the purpose rather than the actual expression of the gift. Furthermore, in its literal reading, the words are more likely to be a command. “Having differing gifts, do something with them!” is the sense of it.
Notice that there are a lot of gifts. God is not boring. He doesn’t want us all to be the same. Variety is the spice of life in His house too. One more thing. These gifts are the direct result of His grace. You don’t earn them. You can’t acquire them. You can’t go off to a training class to receive them. They aren’t on the “pick and choose” menu of church services. You won’t find them on the various committees’ needs lists. God hands them out as He sees fit. They are wired into you. Your gift is your personal expression DNA. You were born with it, whether you know it or not. You can’t change it and you can’t erase it. The only thing you can do is 1) ignore it (although it will show up anyway) 2) use it for yourself (misuse or abuse) or 3) use it as God intended (for the benefit of others).
Paul makes this pretty clear with his choice of the Greek verb didomi. The verb focuses on the freely given nature of the gift, a gift that is given for the benefit of another. But didomi also carries the idea of entrusting something to someone, of causing something to come forth and of granting permission. All of these nuances are present in Paul’s expression. God gives freely. He asks no payment or contractual obligation. What is given is entrusted to us. It causes our divine design to come forth and it is the permission granted to us to exercise His will through our hands and feet. The gifts are God’s signature in us so that we can truly be His regents in the world.
Here’s a tip. If you’re going to be a living sacrifice, then you must know and use the gift God has given you. Why? Because using the gift is the proper expression of sacrifice. Life is not supposed to be trial and error. The trial and error method of determining who you were meant to be is mostly trials and errors. God doesn’t give gifts secretly. He wants you to know how you were designed and what you are supposed to do in His Kingdom. He built you for a purpose. Unfortunately, when we stop listening before we start acting, we jump right into the trial and error method. We get so immersed in the wrong stuff that we can’t think our way out (not surprisingly, since that would be a Greek way of looking at things). So, if you want to really know and use your God-given expression DNA, you have to get back to the original design. That’s what Paul is trying to tell us, and he’s about to let it all loose.
Why does he take so long to get around to the insights we need in order to act as living sacrifices? Because Paul knows that if we only appropriate the “gift” for our use, we will have missed the crucial elements. Therefore, he takes his time to tell us that 1) the gift you have is best used in service to God and others; 2) it’s nothing you acquired for yourself; 3) its real potential is measured by God’s standard; 4) it’s designed to fit perfectly into community; 5) it can’t do what God wants it to do and what’s best for you if it is not put into service for others. Now we’re ready to discover what’s been there all the time.
Topical Index: Transformation
