What Are Your Gifts?

While the day of Pentecost has been designated the birth of the Church, which it may be, its central theme is gift. Just look to the readings for today. They all talk about gifts. Specifically they talk about God’s gifts. The first and most important gift is the Holy Spirit. When we reflect upon Luke’s account of this in Acts we note that when the Holy Spirit entered into the Apostles it pushed them to do what they had been afraid to do earlier. The went out into the street to proclaim Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Remember these were the same people who hid in the upper room because they feared for their lives. The Spirit gave them more than the ability to speak in tongues that day. The Spirit also gave them courage and the words to say. It gave them their life mission – their bucket-list, if you may. Although we recognize that God had given them gifts prior to the time they received the Spirit. It was not until after they received the Spirit did they learn why God had given them their specific gifts. 

We so often forget about our gifts, who gave them, and why they have been given to us. To learn this we need to listen to the Apostles’ story with great wonder and inspiration. Remember these people who stood before the believers in Jerusalem were not the wealthy, well educated members of society. They were lowly folk. Yet they were the first to receive the Spirit. We also note that, when they had begun their journey with Jesus, they misunderstood what Jesus was about. Even as they went with Jesus to his ascension they were still asking the wrong questions. Yes, it is this rag-tag group of people,  many who would be called losers today, were the people God called to start the ball rolling. Because of them we know the story of God’s salvation. 

Paul in his letter to the Corinthians reminds us of our gifts and where they come from. Although his reason for bringing this up is not because the Corinthians did not realize their gifts. They were fighting over them. It seems that they were trying to decide which gift was the most important. Which then would demonstrate who was the best, most important, Christian in their church. Paul is telling the Corinthians (and us) that all gifts are equally important in the community. Each person has their own gifts and a part to share in the life of the church. No one gift is more important or valuable than any other gift. The opposite is also true. No person’s contribution is less important than any other’s. They all are given by God in order to proclaim the salvation given to the world by Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.

Although, in our world today, this is made difficult because of our selfish culture. In our misunderstanding of freedom we come to believe that all our gifts are ours alone and we can do with them as we please. Yet everything is God’s gift from the earth itself and all its resources to life itself. All gifts given to enjoy and share with others. We, who have been called by Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, dressed in the love of God, are freed from our age-old enemies of sin and death so we can share our gifts with the world. It is not hard, you do not need to speak in tongues or speak before thousands of people (although that is Jesus’ call to some) your gift may be to show God’s love by a kind word to someone who is having a bad day. Yes there are a variety of gifts but the same Spirit who gives them. Accept your gift and go boldly into the world with good courage not knowing where you go but only that Jesus is leading you and share all that God has given you.