Gifts and Unity
Ephesians 4:1-16
1-3 lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, forbearing one another in love, eager to maintain the UNITY of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Unity is defined as forming or being a complete, complex, and pleasing whole. This definition of Unity at first appears in conflict with the idea of each of us having our own unique gifts and each of us being unique creations of God as Paul describes in verses 11-12.
11-12 And his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors, and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.
Am I unique or am I part of the complete, complex, and pleasing whole? I’m afraid I usually do the worst of living out this paradox. When I think of gifts, I think mostly in a manner that is not at all unifying.
I covet the gifts of the people around me and forget to celebrate my own gifts.
I am patient. I find the best in people. I am good at delivering honest, but graceful communication and I’m willing to engage people in conversations, even when I know conflict may be a part of the relationship. However, I am a horrible planner and I’m an introvert, with low energy for relationships. Rather than celebrating my gifts, I compare myself to the socially engaging people around me and I fail to live up to what I wish I could be. In high school, my friend Joe Spink was the life of the party. My wife is the life of the party. They know everyone, talk with everyone, apparently have boundless energy to love on the people around them… I wanted that gift, and to this day, I wonder, why is that not me? I often wish for the gift I do not have.
2. I beat myself up for the times when I fail to employ my gifts well.
Luke 12 says, “To whom much is given, much is required” (there is a lot to unpack with this scripture and I’m not doing that here, but I don’t think the intention was to gracelessly beat ourselves up when we do not perform) Suffice to say, I do not give myself much grace in this area. I always hear and read this as, don’t squander your gifts. You have been given a lot, you should get out there and get after it. You must perform! But, as I contemplate this today, I think it is also a warning. Allow yourself the grace to fail even in the thing that is your gift. You will find days that you do not have the energy to employ your gifts. This is OK. As a competitive runner, I knew that rest days were important. I knew that at the peak of performance, I could not run my best races back-to-back days. Some days either my mind, my heart, my cardio vascular system, or my legs just did not have IT. There was no need to conjure the understanding of this truth that I could not employ this gift of endurance, day in and day out, without burning out. I don’t typically give myself the same grace with other gifts. I’m really good at being patient with people, but on occasion my patience wanes and I tend to beat myself up. Just ask Lisa.
Perhaps understanding this paradox, unique gifts and unity, is found in understanding God’s idea of gifts. This scripture promises something so much better, so much bigger, so much more fundamental, in Christ’s gift:
7 But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it is said, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.”
Read that again. The greatest of the Gifts from our creator is GRACE. AND even more specifically to the point, we are given the grace ACCORDING TO THE MEASURE OF CHRIST’S GIFT. Not what we earned, not what we worked hard for, not because we are better or worse at employing our gifts, not because I’m energized or lazy, but simply “according to the measure of Christ’s gift”
Our gifts are great. It feels good to employ my gifts. I love feeling competent. Success is a privilege that makes my heart sing, my spirit fly, my emotions catch in my throat. I believe I feel God’s presence, sometimes even God’s pleasure, when I employ my gifts in the manner for which I was created. At work there are times when a conversation with a co-worker, sometimes even a hard conversation, can feel sublime. My gift for patience, graceful, but honest words, a willingness to engage with the conflict that may arise, makes me feel like I am really doing the job I was created to do. Unfortunately, more often, I experience a sense of failure. My gifts fail me. Or perhaps more accurately, I fail my gifts with low effort or thoughtless disengagement.
Our creator knew that by creating us with unique gifts to employ for the unity of the kingdom, we would also need the gift of Grace. This unconditional Grace would be the greatest gift, because with a gift, at times, comes the sense of failure. That wonderful gift of Grace, unconditional love, not only heals our spirit, but also very practically helps us get back up after our most recent failure and get back to employing our gifts for the Kingdom. The gift of Grace is essential.
I watched Annika graduate two weekends ago and the occasion begged my contemplation for the gifts I see in my kids. Annika finds significance in her tenacious, curious, and brave approach to the world she encounters. Nic possesses a singular focus which he employs to his passion for flight enabling extraordinary achievement. David exudes joy in his relationships and in competitive play which compels loyalty and builds teamwork. I am a proud, A VERY PROUD Dad, but even more, I am thankful for the Grace Gifts that are offered to my kids, myself, and our gifted and needy world.
“But Grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.”
The gift of grace
Christ offers to each of us the perfect measure
The essential gift that unifies