Try Something New

Have you ever tried something, performed horribly at it, and then immediately resolved never to do it again? I have. Numerous times, I'm ashamed to admit. Like the time I tried disc golf a few years ago; I was so bad at it that, after throwing several discs (not Frisbees, I was repeatedly and angrily informed!) into the nearby lake, I decided to hang it up for good.

Well, sometimes we’re like that when it comes to serving in the church. If we try to serve in a ministry (say, children’s ministry, choir, or small group leadership) and things don’t go immediately well, we quickly conclude, “That’s obviously not my gift.”

But could it be that our spiritual gifts may change according to the needs in the church?

In his new book, The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment, Tim Challies says: “The Bible does not tell us that all spiritual gifts are given at the time of conversion or that, once given, they are given permanently. As we grow in our knowledge and love of the Lord, we should continue to seek ways of serving him. We may be surprised to find that our gifting changes along with the needs of the local church. We may find that God wishes us to emphasize different gifts now from those we emphasized in the past. So keep searching for his gifting in his life."

When I read the quote above, I have to admit it offered a perspective that I had never considered: our spiritual gifting may change? But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it was consistent with the biblical witness. The growth (spiritual and numerical) of the church is a chief concern of the New Testament writers and, more importantly, Christ himself. And the growth the church happens as each member discovers and exercises his or her spiritual gifts. And since spiritual gifts are given for the benefit of other believers, as others' needs ebb and flow throughout the life of a church, so may one's gifting.

Maybe you volunteered for a ministry in the past that didn’t go so well. And you’ve taken a hiatus from service since then. Could God be calling you to try something new? (Think about it while I search for my Frisbees; I hear that Burns Park has a beautiful disc golf course!)