Party Time
We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. Romans 12:6a Berean Study Bible
Gifts – Paul introduces the subject of gifts with the word chárismata. The Greek text does not designate these as spiritual gifts. Church doctrine often views this word as though it is confined to the spiritual realm, but that is an extension and addition to the original thought. Paul notes only that these are gifts of grace given by God. There is no suggestion that they are uniquely limited to the operations of the church. They are for everyone who bears God’s image.
chárismata is part of a Greek family of words that come from the concept of joy. chaírō, chará, cháris and others provide us with translations such as “rejoice, joy, grace, give freely, bestow” and “thanksgiving.” Gadamer captures the essential impact of this group when he says, “Joy is not just a state or feeling but a way of making the world manifest. Joy is determined by the discovery of being in its joyousness.”[1]In other words, joy is not simply an emotional experience. The Greek background demonstrates that the word group surrounding “joy” is about actions that reveal the divine character of the world. What has been hidden is brought to light when men and women exercise the gifts given to them. They “manifest” the world in the process of their own fulfillment. There is a direct connect between me exercising my gift and revealing God’s glory in the world. This is why the Hebrew word for work is also the word for worship.
Alignment with the will of the Creator brings about a joyful experience of usefulness. God gifted His creation with the means to experience this divine symphony. chárismata are the inherent intentional uniqueness gifted to each individual in such a way that its expression reflects the joyful celebration of God’s harmony in creation. chárismata are God’s way of providing each human being with a means for revealing and reveling in the cosmic design. They are not acquired by training, not gained by study, and not birthed by skills. They are gifted to us because they are expressions of God’s joy through us.
Therefore, the first corrective action necessary to understand the larger and deeper picture is to see that joy lies behind these gifts and that joy is the intended experience when these gifts are put to use. Joy is the celebration of existence within the cosmic design. It is just as potent in the field as it is in the foyer.
What Paul’s vocabulary suggests is that God grants expressions of His joy in the form of natural gifts. These expressions are the capacities for joyful alignment with the Creator that are designed into your uniqueness. We would call them talents. We recognize the individuality of these talents when we acknowledge them in the world of art, music and sports, but we overlook their place in the rest of life’s activities. A natural leader is exercising just as much of the joyful expression of a gift as is an athlete or musician. When it comes to greatness, it is usually about talent, not skill. When it comes to expressing what you were born to be, joy must accompany your manifestation of the world.
Does your work give you joy? Do you experience delight in the way that you manifest the world through what you do? If you could not answer immediately with a resounding “Yes!” then perhaps you are not operating the intentional chárisma gifted to you. Work without joy is labor, not harmony.
Here’s the critical question for daily application. Are you joyful? Is your life filled with rejoicing as you express the gift God has given you? Are you a delight to God and blessing to others? Surveys tell us that 70% of working people hate their jobs. That is certainly not joy. It means that they are not expressing the gift God put in them at birth. If you’re among that 70%, it’s time to find another way. The Bible does not portray life with God as drudgery. It portrays life with God as celebration. Are you ready to join the party?
Topical Index: transformation, joy, chárismata, work, Romans 12:6a
[1]Hans Georg Gadamer, citation unknown, somewhere in the TDNT, sorry.
When I was young I was a free spirit, undisciplined and unfocussed, without direction. I didn’t know what I wanted to do other than work for myself. I stayed in school, joined and left military officer training, went back to university to study what?
Out of the blue I was given the chance to leave school, my home, my country and work in England in a new venture that I quickly took to. I loved it and the work became my own business. Eventually I was given the opportunity to return to Canada to do the same and once again it all happened quickly. During all this time I maintained a loose relationship with God, not really knowing or understanding why but just doing what came my way naturally and events always seemed to happen at warp speed.
It is now exactly 60 years since high school graduation this month and I have always said that I never worked a day in my lifelong self employment. I still am as we bought an unfinished project home within 24 hours of literally stumbling across it in the wilderness of New Brunswick before it came on the market the next day. I am currently in the middle of major renovation to our “new” home enjoying it as much as ever while God acts as the site supervisor from the time of the sunrise in the east across the Salmon River in the front yard. Today I will be pouring the concrete foundation for the new sunporch. It is a glorious day once again as I celebrate the gifts that He has given me. Hallelujah! The Site Supervisor lives while bears deer and moose take note. A good foundation is essential to life’s projects.
Thanks for the update, George. The wilderness is the best! I hope to be following in your footsteps soon (although I am NOT naturally talented with building skills!).
“…In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy…”
So work, worship and joy are supposed to be related? Should the “worship service” then, be more like a celebration of the work of God and the congregants of the week before? Is this what YHVH was doing that first Sabbath? What if worship consisted of taking time to celebrate what God has worked through us: of taking time to return to YHVH gratitude for the working of purpose in our lives? Is not gratitude the act of securing the gift?
It was late in my life when I realized that I was worn out because I kept on working under the wrong taskmaster (motivation): I was a slave to performing for love. Why was I a slave? Because I was not showing up for my paycheck (joy, of course)! Well, I chucked that set of motivations and installed a better Motivator. How do you install God’s love in your life to power your day? I am finding that I have to ask for my daily bread (power of life); do what I do for the right reasons (motivations); and give the credit (glory) to God through praise and gratitude at all junctures. This is a new skill set for me!
As child, a favorite Sabbath activity: the one I looked forward to the most, frankly: was the official tour of the garden. This was where Papa joined us as we proudly showed him the week’s progress that we and the garden had made. It was the most joyful part of the day for me (at least part of it being able to idly walk around the garden instead of having to pull briars and chuck rocks). Now, I know to take the time to think through my week and walk around looking at the progress and praising God for it. It’s as much fun as it ever was!
I have often seen the parallel in many of the projects (work) that I have had before me …renovation and remodeling.Remove the rotten and cut out the bad rebuild the foundation . It has been the case of greatest joy praises and freedom being “self employed “ punching the clock has most often been laborious and also time to serve others ?
There are times in our lives when simply doing what must be done at the moment it needs to be done, is also worship. I think of the men who landed on the beaches of Normandy, of medical personnel who work beyond fatigue during catastrophes, of firefighters who return one more time to a building in flames, of policemen who step in front to protect us from harm, of those who are under fire and trial because they act on Godly convictions. Often those actions are not a part of what we think is our employment. But having the courage to do it–even to do what may be detestable to others–because it must be done is also worship in the eyes of God.
“The Greek background demonstrates that the word group surrounding “joy” is about actions that reveal the divine character of the world. What has been hidden is brought to light when men and women exercise the gifts given to them. They “manifest” the world in the process of their own fulfillment. There is a direct connect between me exercising my gift and revealing God’s glory in the world. This is why the Hebrew word for work is also the word for worship.”
I love this! 🙂
The Gifts of Romans 12 are part of symbiotic arrangement of gifts bestowed by the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit as explained by Paul in 1Corinthians 12:4-6.
4 “Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit (1Cor. 12:7-10).
5 And there are differences of administrations , but the same Lord (Eph. 4:8,11).
6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which works all in all.”(Rom. 12:6-8)
The Gifts of Ephesians could be considered “callings” (See Rom. 11:29) as they are given to the Body for the seven administrations listed in Eph. 4:12-13.
The Gifts of Corinthians are spiritual in application and divided to members of the Body as the Spirit wills. 1Cor. 12:11
What differentiates the Gifts of the Father from the other 2 sets of gifts is that they are creative in nature as they are worked “All in All”, and are operational in their working (from the Greek *Energama* where we draw the word Energy) Therefore, these are not meant to remain dormant or apathetic but more so to be active, energetic in our lives in order to affect change, help, comfort, love to the Body and to our fellow man.
In any situation, one or all seven gifts of Romans 12 will find their application and fulfillment in order to shine forth the Glory of God in the midst thereof. We can all teach, rule, show mercy, exhort, give, speak, serve in the moment of need. A grieving friend will need the showing of mercy, exhortation, giving, serving by one or many in his family and friends. A congregations will see in evidence all seven of the Gifts in operation as the members worship and commune together. All is done in a attitude of self-sacrifice and service. Rom. 12:1 :…that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”
It may be noted that even though the Father has placed “all” seven gifts in “all” of us, there is one of these that is more dominant than the others. This dominant gift is usually very comfortable for us to execute and may often be the foundation of our joy. For myself, I know that when I am teaching, I am certainly in the “zone” and overjoyed to do so. The world has certainly seen these dominant gifts in individuals by coining different sayings that highlight these gifts, such as “He would give (Giving) you the shirt of his back”, “She wears her heart (Showing Mercy) on her sleeves”, “There’s not a negative bone (Exhortation) in his body”, “She is a born leader (Ruling)”, and so on.