Month: March 2023

Last week we discussed the idea of avoiding comparing ourselves to others, primarily because God created each of us for a very unique and special purpose. There were some exceptions (for example, it’s ok to mimic the actions of a worthy and wise role model) but, generally, it’s best to focus on God’s unique plan for your life. During this discussion, we touched on spiritual gifts and the role they play in helping us stay on the distinct path God has planned for each of us.

But what exactly are these spiritual gifts and how do we know which gifts we have? Let’s start with three references from scripture about spiritual gifts:

There are different kinds of gifts but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. (1 Cor. 12:4-5)
 
Each one should use whatever gift they have received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. (1 Pet. 4:10)
 
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 who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. (Romans 12:4-6a)

For each of us, our unique path has unique challenges and opportunities to serve God. And He has already provided us with special gifts (spiritual gifts) to make us more effective along the way. As we use our spiritual gifts to serve God, we collectively strengthen the Body of Christ.

Here is a helpful link to an explanation of spiritual gifts that includes a list of all the gifts listed in various passages in the Bible.  These include administration, apostle, discernment, evangelism, exhortation, faith, giving, healings, helper, knowledge, leadership, mercy, miracles, pastor, prophesy, service, teaching, tongues (interpreting), and wisdom.

As examples, if your gifts are “missions” and “administration” then you may be best suited for various types of missions.  Or if your gifts are “teaching” and “leading” then you’ll be most effective in developing and leading teaching ministries.

There are hundreds of surveys online to help you determine your spiritual gifts.  Here is a good one created by the Methodist Church. Once you know your gifts, you’ll be better equipped to serve God and be more effective on your unique spiritual journey.

Questions:

• Based on today’s lesson, why do you think it is important to understand your spiritual gifts?
• Have you ever taken a spiritual gifts survey? If so, what are your gifts?
• Whether or not you know your spiritual gifts, do you feel like you’ve been consistently attracted to certain types of service or ministries? If so, what specific gifts would that indicate you might have?
• Is it a bad thing to volunteer or serve in ways that are not directly related to your spiritual gifts?

Last week, we talked about the idea of replacing our “thorns” of fear, anxiety, and worry with a stronger faith and trust in God. When we are fearful and anxious, we are saying to God that we do not trust Him and that we place no faith in His promises.

One of the biggest drivers of fear and anxiety is the sin of comparison, and that is the subject of our verse for the day, which is from 2 Corinthians 10:12:

When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.

In this verse, Paul is saying to the Corinthians that it is unwise to compare ourselves to others. If they had Instagram at that time, Paul might have added something like, “You should delete Insta and all other social media accounts, so your attention is not drawn away from the truth of Jesus Christ.”

So, why is comparison so dangerous and harmful? I believe it all boils down to the fact that God created us for a unique purpose and when we compare ourselves to others, it draws our attention away from that purpose. When we start comparing houses, cars, vacations, wardrobes, athletic ability, academic ability, and others, we can never truly be satisfied. Trying to keep up with others will be our constant distraction. There is no finish line to this race and the only one who is happy when we compare ourselves to others is the devil. He’s loves it when our eyes and hearts are distracted from God.

While most comparison is not wise, I think the following three types of comparison are good:

1. Where are you in comparison to God’s plan for your life? Do you know our spiritual gifts and are you using them (Romans 12:6-8)? Are you focused primarily on loving God and loving others (Matthew 22:37-40)?
2. Where are you today in comparison to where you were on your faith journey yesterday? Are you making progress? Do you have a plan for improvement?
3. If you find someone who is a good role model, it is ok to compare yourself in limited ways as you try to mimic some of their positive attributes.

Otherwise, it’s best to keep our eyes on the prize and off of our neighbor’s stuff.

Questions:

1. Do you agree that comparing ourselves to others creates anxiety and distracts us from God’s plan? Why or why not?
2. In your experience, what are some of the main things people tend to compare?
3. If social media is such a big source of comparison, is it possible to continue using social media without falling into the comparison trap? If so, what strategies might work for avoiding this trap?
4. What benefits would you experience by limiting your comparison to other people this week?