Romans 12:6: Having Gifts That Differ According To The Grace Given To Us

Romans 12:6
[6] Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; (ESV)

Imagine a Christmas morning. The kids have probably started the effort to wake up their parents at around 3 AM. It's now 7 AM. You cannot hold off the kids demands any longer. You gather around the tree and start handing out the gifts. Your ten children are a little bewildered. Every box is the same size. When they open their gifts they discover that they are all exactly the same gift as well.

Sounds like a boring Christmas, doesn't it? God is a great gift-giver. He gives different gifts to his children. Paul tells us here that each one in the body has different gifts according to the grace given to us. These are spiritual gifts that Paul is talking about. These are not gifts that are to be put on a shelf when received. Rather, he says, "let us use them."

The first of the gifts that Paul is mentioning is the gift of prophecy. At first glance, we are inclined to only think of this word in terms of some sort of future prediction. This is not completely unwarranted. The Old Testament is full of words of prophets predicting the Messiah's coming as well as many other important events. These prophecies help to prove the truth of Scripture.

The greek word for prophecy here primarily means "forth-telling," not "fore-telling." Those who are gifted to speak the truth are to do so in proportion to their faith. This gift primarily falls into the category of preaching. However, it is not just done by pastors. There are many who speak the words of God. If this is your gift, God surely has a place for you to use it. Do so faithfully.

Do you know what spiritual gift God has given you? Be thankful that he gives different gifts to each of us. Ask him to help you to understand how to use your gift for him. If your gift is not being used at your church, talk with your pastor about how that can change.